Built by Community: Holli Jenkins' Path to Her Dream Job

This May, Holli Jenkins will walk across the stage at the U of A with a biological engineering degree and her dream job already secured. The path there was built on community, shaped by a supportive department, a student club meeting and the confidence to follow up with an email.

Jenkins didn't arrive at the U of A planning to study biological engineering. She initially set her sights on mechanical engineering, but an info session for the First-Year Engineering Biological Engineering program changed everything.

"Everyone that I saw and talked to in that session was so inspired to make positive changes, and I instantly could see myself being one of them," Jenkins said. "It was really nice to see myself and the things I valued reflected in a department."

The session also opened her eyes to a field she had never considered, water engineering. Growing up in Arkansas, she had always loved the outdoors, but it wasn't until the program highlighted water, agriculture, food and energy as engineering pathways that it clicked.

Beyond career direction, the department gave Jenkins something she had worried she might not find at a large university, a supportive community. She had come from a small school and worried about not finding her people, but in biological engineering, she did.

"Everyone here is so kind and open to everyone and the ideas they bring," she said. "It's so nice to walk into the student study space and have people be like, 'Oh my gosh, hey, we're so glad you're here.' When you've had a tough day, you know that whoever's behind that door, you're going to enjoy seeing them, and you're going to have a little bit of peace."

The turning point in Jenkins' career journey came during her sophomore year. At a Biological Engineering Student Club meeting, two department alumni from Garver, Dawson Oakley and Kristen Dickey, came in to talk about their careers in water engineering. Instead of simply listening and moving on, Jenkins took initiative and emailed Dickey directly after the meeting.

That single email led to an interview at Garver. Notably, three of her interviewers were biological engineers, two of them U of A graduates.

"I felt a lot calmer because I was like, okay, these people know my academic background. We have something to chat about," she said. "And then I got the internship."

Jenkins interned for two summers at Garver as a process mechanical engineer on the water design team in Fayetteville, working on the design of wastewater and water treatment plants for municipalities.

"It sounds kind of boring, designing water treatment centers," she said. "But once you delve into it, it's such an interesting type of engineering. And it's so needed."

Her coursework proved directly applicable. Knowledge of unit operations, pumps, hydraulics, valves and piping, reinforced through her work on the department's competitive Fountain Wars team, gave her a foundation to contribute meaningfully through her internship.

Garver was so impressed with Jenkins' work that they offered her a full-time position before graduation. She will join the Fayetteville Water Design Center as a process mechanical engineer in late June.

"It's a job that I look forward to starting. It's not one I just had to take because I needed one," Jenkins said. "It's relieving and also exciting."

In a full-circle moment, her assigned mentor for the role is Dawson Oakley, one of the U of A Biological Engineering alums whose visit to that student club meeting first inspired her to reach out.

Jenkins' success reflects the broader track record of the U of A Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, which boasts a job placement rate of over 95% of graduating seniors securing jobs before graduation.

The job offer wasn't the only recognition Jenkins received as her undergraduate career draws to a close. Department faculty selected her as the 2026 Biological Engineering Outstanding Senior, an honor that recognizes a graduating student who has demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, professional growth and contributions to the department community. For Jenkins, it was a meaningful acknowledgment of the journey she had taken since that first info session four years ago.

"I am incredibly humbled and grateful to be recognized by the department as the 2026 Outstanding Senior for Biological Engineering. This department has not only shaped my experience as an engineering student but has also shaped me as a person with its continued and unwavering support for my personal and academic growth," Jenkins said.

The U of A Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department head, Terry Howell, Jr., shared that Jenkins' journey is a perfect example of what happens when a student fully embraces everything the department has to offer.

"She came in curious, got involved, took initiative and never stopped pushing herself. She also embodied the same traits that drew her to the major. She has been an incredible ambassador for prospective students and underclassmen. This is exactly what we hope for every student who walks through our doors. We can't wait to see the impact she'll have," Howell said.

Jenkins credited the department's open-door policy for her growth. "I've never been turned away from an office," she said. "That availability has been major in my success."

She also highlighted how the department prepares students not just technically, but professionally.

"Our department is great at preparing students for industry through group projects, working on problem solving and learning how to do good work together and be an easy person to work with," Jenkins said.

Looking ahead, Jenkins' ambitions are grounded in purpose. "I hope to be able to use some of the problem-solving skills I gained here to make a positive impact," she said.

"My goal is to go home every day and feel like I did something to make someone else's life better with biological engineering."

The U of A's Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department didn't just give her technical knowledge. It gave her a community, a sense of purpose and the confidence to build a career she's excited about.

"I genuinely owe a lot to this department," she said. "The department has only ever made my life easier."