Joseph Paige, PE, Project Engineer at Waggoner, recently spoke to participants in the Reclaiming Our Youth summer programs in Columbus, Mississippi about his engineering career and work at Waggoner Engineering.
In response to a distressing gun violence incident in 2022 that impacted two Columbus teenagers, a group of community stakeholders joined forces to actively confront this issue. As a result, the City of Columbus Outreach Department established the Reclaiming Our Youth program to tackle the escalating problem of youth gun violence.
A six-week summer youth leadership camp was created, featuring a cognitive-based curriculum that prioritizes life skills. Additionally, evening recreational programs and summer feeding programs were organized at city recreational facilities. The summer 2022 programs attracted over a thousand participants, and importantly, no child experienced gun violence during that period. Currently, the 2023 programs are underway.
Joseph calls Columbus, Mississippi home, and engaging with participants of Reclaiming our Youth is important to him. He states, “My goal is to empower the youth with knowledge and wisdom to help them in their quest to become successful in every area of their promising lives.”
Joseph recently celebrated his first anniversary at Waggoner Engineering. He has over nine years of experience in engineering and construction management, with a background in water quality and stormwater management.
Learn more about ways Waggoner employees give back to communities: Our Company – Waggoner (waggonereng.com)
About Waggoner
Waggoner Engineering, founded in 1976, is a civil engineering firm with a passion for helping communities realize their full potential. Today, Waggoner has expanded to 15 offices in five states and is recognized for its innovative, multi-disciplinary services that make it much more than a traditional engineering firm.