Colby Landwehr, Assistant Electrical Engineer at Burns & McDonnell, is exceptionally good at solving technical problems.

“Colby uses his engineering and problem-solving skills to upgrade the telecommunications network for substations to ensure reliable power for customers in five states,” said Sunita Lavin, Assistant Department Manager at Burns & McDonnell.

Now in his second year at the Kansas City-based architecture and engineering firm, Colby’s skills are in high demand. In a short period of time, he has started to perform quality reviews for other engineers’ projects, which demonstrates his technical ability and attention to quality.

Unfortunately, many of Colby’s problems at home growing up were not solvable but well outside his control, and he could only do so much to help the person who needed it the most: his mother.

At 12, Colby was removed from his home and entered the foster care system.

“My mother had narcolepsy, so she wasn’t very good at taking care of herself and the household,” said Colby. “In the end, she ended up homeless and wasn’t able to take care of me.”

After spending a year in a group home, Cornerstones of Care took over his case. He lived briefly with a foster family before moving to the residential dorms at the Ozanam Campus.

Like many children in foster care, Colby held out hope for years that things would improve with his mother and that he could safely return home.

By the time he turned 17, the plan for reunification was no longer viable.

He then joined the Pathways for Transitional Living Program, which provides support, guidance, housing, and case management for young adults in foster care. After about a year in a Pathways group home, he transitioned to his own apartment with continued support from Cornerstones of Care.

The trauma of being removed from his home as a child caused significant mental and emotional challenges for Colby. Despite his interest in learning and potential for growth, the instability of his living situation also made it extremely difficult for him to maintain a consistent education.

“I knew I wanted to be an engineer, a scientist, or something like that,” said Colby. “I liked computers from a young age. I was building a computer in the dorms with parts wherever I could find them and got into some trouble for that.”

He earned his GED from Missouri Options, an alternative education program while living in a foster home. He tried to pursue a general degree at Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in Kansas City but had to leave before completing his program.

It was Colby’s involvement in the YES program that helped him discover his vocational interests and skills and set him on a path to a career in engineering.

Volunteers from Burns & McDonnell at the Ozanam Campus

The YES program first connected Colby to a customer service training program, which led him to a quality job, though he wasn’t passionate about the work.

“I knew that I wanted to go back to college at that point and what I wanted to do,” said Colby.

In 2018, he graduated from Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in Kansas City with an associate degree and then transferred to UMKC’s School of Engineering, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree three years later.

Throughout his school years, the YES program provided instrumental support, helping Colby navigate college, access financial aid, and find transportation. But more than that, the YES program offered a unique holistic approach to help Colby adjust to life after foster care and increase his chances of success.

“A lot of these kids, myself included, have a hard time adjusting to life as an individual post-care,” said Colby. The program helped with everything from setting up appointments to cooking, cleaning, and managing money. “The goal was to address all aspects of life because a lot of things can stand in the way of being successful in your vocation and education,” said Colby.

Colby has ongoing relationships with his caseworker, life coach, and peers in the program. He also maintains a relationship with his mom.

“The YES program gave me the resources, the experience, and the knowledge to teach myself the things that were not taught to me,” said Colby.

Almost immediately after graduating from UMKC, Colby was hired by Burns & McDonnell.

As an employee, he is passionate about using the organization’s resources to increase volunteer engagement for nonprofits like Cornerstones of Care. He met Ken Gerling, a coworker and former Cornerstones of Care board member, at a trivia fundraiser and discovered they had shared interests.

Together, they coordinated several volunteer projects at Cornerstones of Care, including a fence-building project for Build Trybe and installing French drains for the flower beds at the Ozanam Campus.

“I have been really impressed with Colby’s passion for and dedication to giving back to the community,” said Sunita. “He has put a lot of effort into working with Cornerstones of Care to come up with projects that would be the most beneficial to the kids in care.”

Volunteers from Burns & McDonnell at the Ozanam Campus

On project days, Colby gives his all, motivating his team members and reminding them of the importance of their volunteer work.

“A lot of the ways people give to foster care is monetarily – and that’s very important – but I think it’s equally important to give your time,” said Colby. “One thing I lacked was exposure to the outside world. When you give your time, you’re setting an impression to these kids of what life is like in the outside world.”

For this same reason, Colby is intentional about interacting with the kids when volunteering, often making small talk or giving them advice.

“I want to try and give back as much as I can to future foster youth,” said Colby, hoping to convey that there are people who care for them and want to help.

“You can have a normal life; you can have the things you want. It’s unfortunate that you will probably have to work harder than other people. But when you do achieve it, I think you’ll be even stronger than the people around you.”