Engineering His Future: Graduate Turns Opportunity into Impact
When Justin Mills played football at Beaumont Sports Park with his friends growing up, he had no idea he would return to that very same park a decade later—this time for a field visit as an engineer.
The Yucaipa native will not only be crossing the stage on May 16 to receive his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, but he also will be preparing to begin a full-time role as an engineer for the city of Beaumont’s Public Works Department, where he has been working part-time since the fall.
Mills credits Cal Poly Pomona and its many resources for helping him succeed. The connections, professional development programs, and the faculty’s dedication to teaching and preparing the next generation of engineers played a vital part in where he is today.
Discovering His Path
During his time at Redlands East Valley High School, Mills knew that he wanted to become a civil engineer. CPP was always on his radar of potential universities due to its strong reputation.
“When I was talking to faculty at my high school, and I mentioned Cal Poly Pomona and engineering in the same sentence, it always seemed like they all knew an engineer from CPP,” Mills said. “That really stuck with me. I also did my research and found that CPP has the largest civil engineering program in the nation. At that point, I was realizing that this school would be a good choice for me.”
Robert Vestal, the public works director that Mills now works under, also happened to be a CPP alumnus, so they were able to make that connection. He was thoroughly impressed by Mills’s performance.
“Justin has consistently demonstrated dedication, initiative, and a genuine willingness to learn and grow as a young engineer,” Vestal said in a statement. “He also picked up surveying quickly and developed a solid understanding of both field operations and technical requirements in a relatively short amount of time.”
Mills said another key factor in his success has been the College of Engineering’s expansive alumni network. One of his earliest memories on campus was meeting alumnus Clark Rucker (‘83, engineering technology) through the Maximizing Engineering Potential program.
“He [Rucker] is an engineering hall-of-famer-here,” Mills said. “I got my first internship just by staying connected through him. It’s very unique to have the number of alumni we do coming back to campus, helping out and making connections. That’s something I would like to be able to do eventually.”
Campus Involvement
Mills immersed himself in campus life throughout his time at CPP. Being part Native American, Mills often frequented the Native American Student Center his first year, which helped him feel comfortable and welcomed on campus. This involvement eventually led to a job at the center during his freshman year.
His experience there helped him secure a position as a building manager at the BRIC, where he worked from the start of the summer before his second year through his fourth year before joining Beaumont Public Works.
During U-Hour, Mills participated in a variety of campus clubs and organizations, including the Construction Engineering Management Association and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
His campus involvement and leadership experience also helped Mills land multiple internships before graduation, notably working with DRC Engineering, Albert A. Webb Associates and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
He attended many career fairs and engineering expos, not without its share of rejection or disappointment. A quote from the movie “Rocky Balboa” helped him realize that failure sometimes makes way for a better opportunity in the future.
“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward,” he said. “I use that mantra a little too much. I watch the film every year before finals week, and it’s that little bit of motivation for me. That has gotten me through so much, whether it be school, relationships, or my knee injuries. It might be bad now but just keep pushing forward. It’s going to be worth it.”
Mills also earned several honors during his time at CPP. Mills joined the Kellogg Honors College during his second year.
Most notably, he was an Iana Williams President’s Scholar in the 2024-2025 cohort. During the 2025-2026 academic year, he also received the Donald G. Wells Memorial Endowed Scholarship through the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Mills described these honors as something he is truly proud of, especially representing his degree program.
“It’s a really cool thing to be a part of,” he said. “They think of me highly and entrust me with honors like this. It’s a big deal and it’s very rewarding.”
A Strong Network of Support
Mills grew up in Yucaipa with his parents, Patrick and Olga Mills, and his older brother, Austin, a UC Irvine alumnus and fellow civil engineer. His parents, both teachers, instilled hard work, determination and academic success into their sons from an early age.
“Being teachers, my parents always stressed education to me and my brother,” Mills said. “Rightfully so. They made a lot of sacrifices to make sure that we had a great childhood growing up. They took us to all of our sports practices and games and encouraged us to be the top leaders even in elementary school. My grandma was a schoolteacher too, and they always stressed the importance of education, especially pursuing higher education.”
Perhaps Mills’s greatest inspiration and role model was his grandfather, Bill Mills. His grandfather grew up farming in a small, rural area called McNally Flats in Oklahoma and worked in construction. He inspired the younger Mills to pursue engineering.
Mills was also inspired by his other set of grandparents, Enrique and Alba Pesantes, who emigrated to America in the 1960s to give their family an opportunity for a better life.
Mills lived out his college journey in a way to pay it forward to his family, who made his life possible through their hard work and sacrifices. He said his family’s progress across generations motivated him throughout college, especially knowing some of his relatives, like his grandfather, never had the opportunity to attend college.
Another major influence was his high school football coach, Gavin “Gumby” Pachot, who died in November after a battle with cancer. Mills got to see him two months before he passed.
Mills became emotional while recounting how much his coach meant to him.
“He was one of those guys that would always tell us, ‘if no one told you yet today, I love you,’” Mills said. “He only started coaching me in my senior year of high school, but we kept in touch and he made a huge impact on my life.”
Future Hopes
Mills hopes to continue giving back to his community and CPP in the future.
One opportunity came shortly after Mills committed to Cal Poly Pomona. Ridgeview Elementary, where he attended in Yucaipa, learned that he had perfect attendance from his time at Ridgeview all the way through high school. He was given the opportunity to speak at the elementary and help gift a bike to a student who also had perfect Ridgeview attendance.
Mills plans to return to Ridgeview and his high school to say hello to his teachers and give out some graduation announcements. His intentions to give back to his community in the future are something he is looking forward to the most.
“I want to keep my name around and get involved in any way I can,” he said. “Maybe I can be that person who comes back to campus to speak and give back to the next generation. I want to be a support system for students and have conversations with them. I’ve benefitted greatly from many in that way, and that’s really special.”
Now working in the Beaumont Public Works Department, Mills is getting settled and is looking forward to starting full-time after Commencement. His work involves supporting and managing public infrastructure projects ranging from roadway rehabilitation and transportation improvements to capital improvement and community development projects throughout the city.
He is currently studying to obtain his professional engineering license, which involves taking an eight-hour test.
Mills said his four years as a Bronco have been the most positive and life-changing experience, and he looks forward continuing his relationship with CPP as an alumnus.
“There is still a bunch more for me to learn,” he said. “It doesn’t stop at Commencement. I’m still going to be learning for years to come. It’s gonna be so exciting.”