Underground Construction - July 2020 - 33

REHABTECHNOLOGY

Luis R. León,
P.E., BCEE, ENV SP

EDITOR'S NOTE:
NASSCO continues to set standards
for the assessment and rehabilitation
of underground infrastructure. A vast
array of individuals has contributed to
the success of the association, both in
the past and present, that has driven
NASSCO's industry mission. This series
of articles recognizes those who have
not only been critical to the success of
NASSCO, but the industry as well.
This month, we profile Luis R.
León, a native of El Salvador whose
determination and fortitude led him
to an engineering education and
career in California. Luis has been
an active member of NASSCO for
much of his career, bringing his
unique skills to help benefit not only
domestic programs, but international
endeavors by NASSCO, as well.

I was born in El Salvador, Central
America, where I attended a small, private
school. In my early teenage years, I started
to dream of a college career in the United
States. I always wanted to study medicine,
but then in my later years of high school,
I discovered my love for mathematics and
physics, which redirected my goals to the
field of engineering.
My childhood was very typical, until the
late 1970s, when the 12-year Salvadoran
Civil War began. This unrest helped propel
my desire to move to the U.S., so in my
last year of high school I started applying
for government scholarships. With the
support of my parents to move to the
United States, I was grateful to receive a
small scholarship to pursue my dreams of
becoming an engineer.
In July of 1980, I arrived in California
with very limited knowledge of English,
so my first stop was to enroll in an adult

education program to study English as
a second language. I engulfed myself in
the language every chance I had. When I
wasn't studying, I was watching television
to immerse myself in my new culture
and learn to speak and understand
English as quickly as possible.
Three months later, once I had
confidence in my ability to communicate,
I attended Pasadena City College where
I received an Associate of Arts Degree.
Next stop was Northrop University
in Inglewood, Calif., where I received
my Bachelor of Science degree in civil
engineering with high honors.
Soon after graduating from Northrop
University, I met Lorena, the lady of my
dreams. Lorena was also originally from
El Salvador, but in the 1960s her parents
moved to the United States where they
worked and grew a family. After nearly
three years of dating we got married, had

a baby girl and I became a U.S. citizen.
At that time, El Salvador continued to be
politically unstable, so we were fortunate
to start our family in America.

Career
My career path began in Southern
California and worked its way up the
coast, where I became employed by
BKF Engineering. During my time at
BKF, the firm primarily focused on land
development, but also did underground
utility projects for Stanford University
and others. This was my first taste of
trenchless technology, which led to
my next role as project engineer for
the city of Palo Alto, Calif. The city
was very progressive in the use of
trenchless technologies, so I was able
to gain excellent, first-hand knowledge
of alternative ways to maintain and
rehabilitate pipes.
UConOnline.com | JULY 2020

33
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