Meet our Awesome Associate, Maria Bolivar, Designer, located in our Orlando, FL office.

Maria was selected as an Awesome Associate by a colleague who had to say this about her,

“Maria has a positive attitude day in and day out. She takes the time to teach/help even those outside of her direct team and outside of her department.”

We were fortunate enough to get the opportunity to sit down and talk with Maria, where she answered some questions to give a glimpse into her background and what drives her professionally. At WGI, we know that our success starts with our associates, and that’s why we want to share their awesome stories with you!

Hey, Maria! Tell us a little bit about where you’re from and where you went to school.

I am from Bogota, Colombia, and I went to the University of Central Florida for my bachelor’s degree (go knights!)

That is super interesting! So, what drew you to this profession?

I have always liked to design, and having family members that worked in the industry exposed me to it as soon as I came here for college, and I loved it!

We are certainly lucky to have you! What types of projects have you worked on?

I have worked on major and minor roadways in projects for the FDOT, the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX), and Florida’s Turnpike (among others). Assisting project managers and engineers mostly with plans production.

What are you most passionate about in life?

I am passionate about seeing the people that surround me succeed in whatever they want to do. Also, seeing the good things in life and doing whatever makes me happy.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I like watching movies, going to concerts, spending time with friends and family, painting, and going to museums.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Probably teleportation. Having my family far away in Colombia is hard, so I would love to be able to visit them whenever I want.

Very good choice! What does your ideal vacation look like?

I really enjoy art and history, so my ideal vacation would probably be going to places like Greece or Italy since they are full of history.

That sounds like a ton of fun! If you could have dinner with anyone who has ever lived, who would it be?

Frida Kahlo because she managed to become a world-known artist in a mostly male-dominated field. It would be interesting to get to know her and hear about her perspective.

What are two apps (on your phone) you CAN NOT live without?

Spotify and my fitness app (EvolveYou)

What would be impossible for you to give up?

Colombia and my family!

Any interesting facts about yourself that you’d like to share?

I actually started studying graphic design when I started college, then switched to Civil Engineering.
I also love corgis.

Who or what inspires you?

My family. They inspire me every day and show me the value of hard work and resiliency.

Everyone at WGI has a story about why they joined the team. What’s yours?

I was graduating and looking for a job. I had internship experience in transportation, so I started looking around. At the time, my friend Juan Ortiz was already working with the company at the Tampa office, and he told me it was a pretty cool company so I decided to apply, got the job interview, and was hired to work for the Orlando office. Ever since then, I’ve had a great time here, full of support from all my co-workers and superiors.