Joseph Lewis is a sophomore in the School of Engineering at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Lewis has been highly involved with the new school, taking part in experiential learning opportunities, serving as an ambassador and working to launch a student chapter of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America at UMSL. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
Joseph Lewis has always been motivated to make the most of every opportunity that comes his way. So, it’s no surprise he saw the potential to be part of something special when the University of Missouri–St. Louis launched its new School of Engineering.
“It’s been exciting,” he said. “Since we’re the first people, the inaugural class going through, we’re trailblazing the way. The new curriculum is being built right before us. So, it’s exciting to see where the School of Engineering is going already. I think it’s just awesome how fast it’s growing, and I’m super excited to see where it’ll go next.”
Lewis, a sophomore majoring in civil engineering, is highly involved on campus, serving as a School of Engineering ambassador and leading an effort to start a student chapter of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America. He’s also volunteered at UMSL’s Engineering Summer Camps and participated in experiential learning opportunities facilitated by the School of Engineering, such as a tour of Basler Electric.
Outside of the classroom, Lewis is equally driven. He is a licensed real estate agent with SMPL Realty and recently accepted a summer internship with Clayco, one of the nation’s leading privately owned design-build and real estate firms. However, this promising trajectory hasn’t been a solitary effort. He credits his Christian faith and mentors at Clayco, SMPL Realty, Pattonville High School and UMSL for guiding him to where he is today.
Lewis first found direction as a middle school student through the Boys 2 menTORRS program. The north St. Louis County non-profit teaches young men everything from conflict resolution to financial literacy. He stayed involved with the program as he got older, serving as a mentor himself during his senior year at Pattonville High School.
A visit to Clayco’s corporate campus around that time proved to be a formative experience. Through the company’s Beyond the Bell mentorship program, Lewis forged connections with Tom Sieckhaus, executive vice president of Clayco; Rachel Boemer Ashlock, program director of Clayco’s Construction Career Development Initiative; and Vincent Bommarito, director of special projects at Clayco.
Sieckhaus was particularly impressed with Lewis, and the two stayed in touch as college approached.
“Tom really helped me out, took me under his wing,” Lewis said. “He opened a lot of doors in the industry. There was a day where I met with people from all the different verticals of Clayco – CRG, LJC, Concrete Strategies, Ventana – so just a lot of opportunities to learn. I’ve been on job sites with Tom, so it’s definitely helped me learn a lot.”
Wanting to stay close to home, Lewis enrolled at UMSL. Clayco’s Build Our Future Scholarship eased Lewis’ financial burden as he began college, which enabled him to focus more intently on his studies. Initially, he pursued accounting because it seemed to offer a future in an in-demand, stable profession.
But Lewis soon felt called to the new School of Engineering that had coincidentally opened its doors during his first semester at UMSL. He realized that he could leverage his passion for real estate and proficiency in mathematics in the civil engineering field.
“I started thinking about what I was interested in when I was younger,” Lewis said. “I wanted to be an architect. But I’ve always been interested in real estate, whether it’s bird dogging, which is finding properties for investors, or wholesaling. So, the most obvious choice for me was civil engineering.”
The engineering faculty have fostered a supportive environment in the new school, devoting themselves to student success at every turn. Lewis also noted that Founding Director George Nnanna has been incredibly accessible – a benefit of the tightknit academic community.
Engineering students are awash in opportunities to gain hands-on experience and network with industry professionals, but the 2026 Mechanical Contractors Association of America Annual Convention was a highlight for Lewis. He was part of a delegation of seven UMSL students who traveled to Phoenix in March for the annual conference.
During the weeklong excursion, the students met with contractors, manufacturers and vendors in the industry. They also connected with future engineers from universities across Canada and the United States. It inspired the group to establish a student chapter of MCAA at UMSL. As president, Lewis is leading the effort and working with the Office of Student Involvement to get it approved as an official student organization.
“There’s a lot of big companies here in St. Louis like Murphy Company, Integrate Facility Services, Corrigan Company and icon Mechanical across the way in Illinois,” he said. “I think having that student chapter with so many mechanical contractors near us will create a lot of opportunities for internships, connections and future job opportunities.”
Lewis expects the organization to be officially recognized in time for MCAA’s next convention in San Diego this spring. He and his fellow members, 13 in all, plan on entering the student competition. They are currently developing a scope-of-work proposal for a water treatment facility to submit to the contest. They will vie with other student chapters for a $10,000 first-place prize.
Lately, coursework and the effort to launch an MCCA student chapter have taken precedence, but Lewis hopes to dedicate more time to his real estate practice this summer. He earned his license in January 2025 – several months before his high school diploma – at the encouragement of Pattonville High School Resource Officer Mike Mooney.
Since then, Lewis has found his footing as a realtor with the counsel of Kathryn Wentz at SMPL Realty. He’s closed a few deals already, including a sale this past summer that he was particularly proud of. The property sold quickly at a good price with the conditions the seller wanted.
The work has illustrated the importance of communication, and Lewis anticipates that his experience negotiating contracts and navigating the ups and downs of the real estate market will inform his future work as a civil engineer. He’ll put that to the test this summer during his stint with Clayco as project engineer intern.
“I think it’ll all help a lot when I get on a project and see the submittals, the RFIs and the drawings,” Lewis said. “I have to communicate with the other people on the job site to know what’s actually going on and how we can stay on schedule. I think a lot of those skills will translate.”
Balancing his many responsibilities can be challenging, but Lewis has surrounded himself with people eager to lend a helping hand. Between this support system and his faith, he’s building a promising future one brick at a time.
“Being an engineering student, being the president of an organization while working, the days can be hard,” Lewis said. “I’d be lying if I said I did this on my own. If I was just relying on my own strength, none of this stuff would get done. So, it’s by God’s grace and his strength, that he gets me through the day each day.”
