Early this year Irene Ibyishaka joined the roster of Come Home talent attraction recipients after she was hired by BMJ Engineers & Surveyors as a graduate engineer. She moved St. Clair with the help of $5,000 in relocation assistance. 

“Things have been going great since I settled in. I’ve had a chance to try some restaurants around town, went on a boat tour and I’ve really enjoyed my walks through the parks here in St. Clair,” she said. “Work at BMJ has also been keeping me busy in a good way. Besides the design, research and analysis in the office, I have been out for inspections too.”

Irene moved to the area from Houghton, MI, where she was attending Michigan Tech University to earn her Master of Science in civil engineering. Prior to that she lived and worked in China and Rwanda.

“I wanted a career where I could see the direct impact of my work on people’s daily lives,” she said. “Growing up, I noticed gaps in infrastructure development and how roads, water systems and buildings directly influence safety and community growth. Civil engineering allows me to combine problem-solving with service, which I deeply value.”

She credits her international background and speaking multiple languages for strengthening both her personal and professional development. Language is one of the most meaningful ways for her to understand new cultures and environments. These experiences grew her confidence and taught her how to adapt quickly, effectively collaborate with diverse teams and be flexible while remaining detail oriented.

Originally started as the Come Home reverse scholarship for college grads with student loan debt, the Community Foundation talent attraction initiatives have since evolved to use modest financial incentives to lure talent of all ages, backgrounds and cultures to St. Clair County. Thirty-one people have moved to the area with the help of a talent attraction award since 2016.

“It’s imperative we continue to support talent attraction efforts,” said Randy Maiers, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “These recipients are all capable individuals who will in turn grow families, home ownership, quality of employment and the overall prosperity of the region. We all benefit when that happens.”

While Irene is the latest talent attraction recipient, she’s not the first to join BMJ. In 2024 the Community Foundation gave Lance Cameron a talent attraction award when he was hired as a survey crew chief.

Lance moved to Port Huron from Linwood, MI, where he worked interstate highway jobsites. He got his start in the field while he was attending Delta College to become a physical therapy assistant when he took a summer internship at a surveying firm to make some extra money for school. He liked it so much he left college and has been surveying for six years, learning hands-on in the field.

Although they took different pathways to their careers, the work they do complements and makes the others’ possible. And the impact is the same – they both love seeing the results of a job well done benefit the Thumbcoast communities they’ve decided to call home.

“I’m excited for this next chapter of my career with BMJ Engineers and Surveyors and grateful for the opportunities in St. Clair that support young professionals as they build both their careers and their roots in this community,” Irene said.