When engineers talk about the projects that shape them, it is often the ones that push them the hardest. For Ana Niño Flores, PE, that project is Garden Hills Phase 3.

As part of the multi-phase Garden Hills Infrastructure Improvements Project in Champaign, Illinois, Phase 3 focuses on large-scale stormwater improvements and neighborhood reconstruction in the north portion of the Garden Hills neighborhood. While earlier phases introduced detention basins and park amenities, Phase 3 tackles the underground backbone of the system, installing large-diameter trunk storm sewers to move stormwater from the watershed north of the railroad tracks into the new detention basin along Hedge Road.

It is the kind of work residents may never see but absolutely depend on.

Stepping Into Leadership

“This project challenged me so much,” Ana said.

Aerial photo of the NE side of the Garden Hills Infrastructure Improvement project.

Phase 3 was the north portion of the project. It was the design phase influenced by proximity to the railroad and existing infrastructure constraints. Ana was assigned to assist with the project and learned the backbone layout from the original Clark Dietz team member who started the work, who sadly passed away from his battle against cancer.

She inherited early alignment concepts and needed to determine what had already been completed, what needed to be updated, what could be improved or simplified, and how to generate complete, construction-ready plans. It required technical depth, organization, and communication.

She was learning, revising, coordinating, performing quality control, and keeping the project moving forward, all while stepping into her first major role as lead design engineer.

“It is hard when you’re in it,” she reflected. “But stepping out of the project, it opened my horizons and I rose to the challenge.”

With support from Project Manager Sean Widener, PE, PTOE, and the broader team, Ana guided the plans toward construction readiness. Through the complexity, she began to see her own growth, not only as a design engineer but as a licensed Professional Engineer, taking ownership of critical infrastructure.

“This was my first project where I led the design,” she said. “It challenged my knowledge base. I had to think ahead and help direct others.”

And she did.

Why Garden Hills, Phase 3 Is Her Favorite

Aerial photo of the NW side of the Garden Hills Infrastructure Improvement project.

Garden Hills Phase 3 stands out to Ana not because it was easy, but because it wasn’t.

It demanded resilience, technical problem-solving, communication, and confidence. It required her to take ownership, make decisions, and prepare plans that would ultimately be built in the field.

The experience expanded her perspective as an engineer and strengthened her leadership capabilities. She didn’t just complete a project; she grew into her engineering leadership.

From Inspiration to Impact

Ana is a registered Professional Engineer in Illinois, and her path to engineering began long before Garden Hills. She grew up watching her father work in new subdivision development, construction, and landscaping. Stopping by construction sites with her dad on the weekends, seeing construction take shape fascinated her.

“My parents inspire me. They work so hard and have instilled that in me,” she said. “I love seeing the design, the colors, and layout come to life.”

Her early interests leaned toward environmental engineering because she wanted to do something that helped the environment. With guidance from an advisor, she pursued civil engineering instead. Her first internship was in transportation, and that experience set her direction.

“My mom instilled a love for math since childhood. I liked math. I thought, maybe I can do engineering.”

Today, she’s doing exactly that. She’s leading infrastructure design projects that protect neighborhoods and improve quality of life. And when challenges arise, she remembers the words that have stayed with her since childhood:

“My dad is my number one supporter, and he always tells me that I can do that — and more.”

So, whenever a project pushes her, she remembers: She can do that. And more.

 

Read More:

For a deeper look at our contributions in Garden Hills, explore our full project portfolio, as well as our project update 1 & project update 2

To understand the broader impact of this work, visit the City of Champaign Public Works Department’s Garden Hills Neighborhood Improvements page.

This project was also spotlighted in the Design Develop Construct Journal—read the feature article here.

Garden Hills is a key part of the City of Champaign’s broader stormwater management strategy. Learn more about the master plan here.