20 under 40: YUSHIN IMURA

Favorite quote or saying, why?

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” – Anne Isabella Thackeray Ritchie

I love this quote! This applies to everything and everyone. From the tiniest of skills to life changing lessons, I believe knowledge is the key to success. I believe in teaching my children the values needed to make good decisions instead of merely telling them what to do; in spreading kindness to everyone I can, in hopes of inspiring others to be compassionate; and that the more time I spend volunteering and mentoring others, the more empowered our fellow community members will be.

Community or professional highlights:

With over 10 years of experience in civil engineering, land development, 3D laser scanning, land surveying, and GIS, I have provided professional design services for multi-million dollar residential, commercial, institutional, and public construction projects. Notable projects include the California High-Speed Rail and one of the largest subdivision projects in California called River Islands, a 4,800 acre residential and commercial development in Lathrop.

In addition to the community improvement projects that I design at O’Dell Engineering, I am passionate about mentoring and inspiring children to pursue a higher education. Throughout my life, I have seen the positive effects of higher education, and respectively, the negative effects of a lack thereof. I believe that if children grow up with a positive influence and a passion for education, they will have more opportunities in life to become successful. In an attempt to enact positive change in an as many children’s lives as possible, I have also been involved with a variety of organizations and programs including the Ultimate Math Challenge, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), Sierra Vista Cares, and the Modesto Engineers Club.

Your life changed when:

My life changed when my son was born. I realized I couldn’t just fly by the seat of my pants anymore; someone else’s life depended on me. Up until that point in my life, I had the ability to casually do whatever I wanted to do. I used to race motorcycles, spend time with my friends until the sunrise, jump in my car and go for a road trip at a minute’s notice, and sleep whenever I wanted to. I quickly realized that these days were over, and my life was starting a new and exciting chapter.

My family has grown since that time and my awesome wife and I now have a seven-year-old son, a two-year-old daughter, and a third baby due in October. I love every minute of it and have never looked back. Also, I wouldn’t be where I am today without my loving wife. She has been the greatest support system through thick and thin and has always found a way to encourage my growth in my career and support of this community. Having a family enabled me to take responsibility and to better my life for myself, my family, and the people around me.

What do you want people to know most about you?

I believe in giving back to the community and people around me, in paying it forward, and helping others whenever you can.

What do you like most about living here?

The thing I like most about living in the Central Valley is the opportunities it presents my family. For one, I have an easy commute to work, which provides more time in my day to spend with my family. Also, the valley presents my family with the opportunity to live in a house with a large backyard. And most of all, I like that my children are growing up in an area with a strong sense of community. The “small-town” feel of Modesto offers a comfortable lifestyle, filled with friendly people.

Why is community involvement important?

The only way to better the world around us is to be a part of the positive change on a small scale. One person can only make so much of a difference, but imagine if every person contributed to a cause? If there were thousands of people working towards the same goal, the difference would be astonishing. I love helping out others and motivating people to work towards their goals. The small part I play in bettering the community is the least I can do. I hope to inspire others to give back as well. Together, we can create a better community for all.

This story was originally published August 24, 2017 at 10:24 AM with the headline "20 under 40: YUSHIN IMURA."