As a high school student in California, Missouri, Terry Imhoff already had a clear idea of what he wanted from life.
He was good at math and he loved living near his family's country home. So what kind of a career path would be best for him?
A quick study of the microfilm cards in the high school library revealed engineering was a good profession for math-proficient students. And his second cousin was a bridge engineer with the Missouri Department of Transportation and stayed in the area.
Ultimately Imhoff graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in civil engineering in 1987 and applied to MoDOT, himself, where he has worked for the last 28 years.
"If I wanted to stay in this area, I knew I had to find a job I could do here. The only subject in school I was good at was math. And I loved building things," he said. "And I didn't want to be forced to live in a city."
He's a rarity in today's economy: a one-career guy.
"I just lucked out, because it's what I liked," he said. "I'd rather be lucky than good any day. It all fell in to place."
As a MoDOT resident engineer in MoDOT's Construction Division, Imhoff administers projects like the diamond interchange at Highway 50/63 and Lafayette Street.
His role is to administer highway construction contracts, which includes ensuring projects are built according to plans and specifications. Other duties include sampling and testing materials; surveying land and keeping records.
"I like to build things," he said. "You get to see the result of your work."
Although the Lafayette Street project is his only active project this week, others will commence this spring and summer. Imhoff said it's common to be working on four to eight projects around the region simultaneously.
Away from work, Imhoff keeps active managing a 118 acre farm north of California, where he raises a small herd of cattle and grows crops like corn, soybeans and alfalfa. He also helps his dad with his larger spread.
Although he said the work takes up a lot of time, he's the kind of guy who enjoys it.
"I love the fresh scent of alfalfa. ... it just smells so good," he said. "Although it is kind of a nuisance because the animals love it, too. There's so many deer in the field across from my house the dogs are barking all the time."
He and his wife Rhonda, an occupational therapist, have three children: Audrey, a sophomore studying occupational therapy at MU; Garrett, a senior at California High School; and Marcus, a seventh-grader.