Graduate, Myles Smith ’13 used his class project to land a real-world job as an urban planner. 

By Lindy Yang ‘22

Growing up in a neighbourhood within walking distance of Mohawk College, Myles Smith ‘13 experienced first-hand how valuable walkable, safe and diverse communities are for connecting people. Completing the Urban and Regional Planning Technician - Geographic Information Systems program at Mohawk College allowed Myles to stay close to his family while building a career which allows him to bring community-focused values and visions to life.

After graduation, Myles worked in a variety of roles developing transferable skills that have helped him thrive in his current role as a project manager at Losani Homes. First, he completed an internship with the economic development team at Haldimand County, where he built relationships with municipal staff which continue to be beneficial today in getting development projects approved.

Following his internship, Myles worked with his father at a rebar company, where he honed estimating skills for project costs and resources. Then, Myles worked with a building company in Grimsby, Ontario where he expanded his understanding of home building and construction. Reflecting on his career thus far, Myles says “staying persistent was a key aspect” to his professional growth and success.

“Watching what I created in college come to life as a professional, and being responsible for it, is something that gives me great pride.” –Myles Smith ’13

For his senior year project at Mohawk, Myles was assigned to work on a property located in Paris, Ontario. The project involved using AutoCAD, a drafting software, to design a blueprint for a conceptual community, with details such as roads, houses, and parks. When Myles was interviewing for the position with Losani Homes, he realized that if he was hired, he would be working on the same property from his school project.

He shared the plans with Losani Homes that he’d drawn up as a student, demonstrating his understanding of the project and company. Myles is confident he landed the role due to his previous work on the property as a student and says his education “100% helped” him advance into another role at Losani Homes.

He was initially hired for a home building and construction position at Losani Homes, but after two weeks in that role, the employer noticed Myles’ urban planning education from Mohawk and transferred him into a land development role.

Myles says, “Watching what I created in college come to life as a professional, and being responsible for it, is something that gives me great pride. Being able to see those lots you’ve been looking at in a plan for so long, then [driving to a construction site and] seeing it come to life in a 3D version, is always something special to me. I’ll never quite get over it.”

He is seeing his dreams become reality. Myles says it’s “a massive accomplishment — not only for me, but for everyone on the project team.”

This story originally appeared in the print issue of Fall 2022 InTouch magazine.