As a construction engineering technology major at New Jersey Institute of Technology, Kaily Peixoto '26 found a community of like-minded students and faculty who challenged and inspired her. Peixoto, who consistently made the Dean's List, is an Albert Dorman Honors Scholar and a Newark Mayor's Scholar. The Newark Mayor’s Scholars program recognizes and awards scholarships to first-year Newark high school graduates based on their accomplishments in academia and public service. Peixoto was one of three first-year students selected to receive this scholarship and engage in community-based projects in Newark while attending college.
During Peixoto's time at NJIT, she learned about project management and engineering through internships with organizations that included the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and Newark Housing Authority. These internships, along with her academic excellence and other achievements at NJIT, opened a door to AECOM, an infrastructure consulting firm. In 2025, Peixoto spent a summer at AECOM as an engineering intern, and she joined the company full-time after graduation, as an entry-level civil engineer.
"I initially came to NJIT as a general engineering major," Peixoto says. Various courses nudged her toward project management, and she soon realized that civil engineering and construction engineering technology was the best fit for her career goals.
But one of the most important lessons that Peixoto learned at NJIT was how engineering can build connections. Volunteering in numerous community-facing initiatives helped her realize that community service is also an important part of what it means to be a well-rounded student and leader.
"At NJIT, I really tried to keep the community in mind and incorporate community views into everything that I was doing," Peixoto says. "My time as a Newark Mayor's Scholar definitely has stood out to me. Because of this program and community, I've had opportunities to engage with different projects and courses that were really meaningful to the city of Newark."
One such project, conducted with Newark's Science Park High School, addressed littering; students collected data on litter in local areas, performed cleanups and presented their findings at NJIT's Honors Interdisciplinary Research Forum.
"It was pretty cool to see all these students come together, engage with the research process, create something that they were really proud to be involved in, and come to NJIT and share their project," says Peixoto.
I'm always seeing where I can be helpful
But Peixoto's volunteer work wasn't limited to just one program. She regularly volunteered at NJIT career fairs, with clubs on campus, and with Habitat for Humanity. She also worked with the Office of Student Persistence and as a peer mentor in the Learning Communities, helping to connect students with campus resources to assist them during their time at NJIT.
"I'm always seeing where I can be helpful," she says.
During her senior year, Peixoto — along with other Newark Mayor’s Scholar seniors — organized and held a drive to collect hygiene products and clothes for Covenant House, an organization that provides safe housing and support services for young people, coordinating the delivery of surplus clothing from Highlander House's Career Closet.
"I really like to give my time whenever I have time — or sometimes even when I don't have time," says Peixoto. "I like to see that my actions, whether they're big or small, are making some sort of impact on the community."
Peixoto joins AECOM's New York office as part of their aviation team, where she will engage with many projects, working in engineering and in different stages of the design process. She hopes to continue her volunteer work, and plans to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and become a licensed engineer. Pursuing an advanced degree is also a possibility, she adds.
"Engineering graduate school is definitely still on the table, though that's a few years down the line."
As Peixoto wrapped up her final weeks at NJIT, the honors were still rolling in. On April 10, 2026, at ADHC's second annual Alumni Recognition and Dorman Awards Reception, Peixoto received the Joan and Albert Dorman Prize for Community Education and Development, for her service supporting educational growth for youth in Newark. Less than a week later, on April 16, she was named an Outstanding Senior at Newark College of Engineering's Salute to Engineering Excellence, representing the School of Applied Engineering and Technology.
"I look back at my four years and I feel really, really proud of what I've done — of my ability to do a lot and also maintain my grades and put in work on my studies," she says. "Everybody at NJIT really wants to see students succeed, and wants to be able to give students the resources to do that."
