Herff alum helps future engineering leaders start careers through civil service
May 28, 2026
Matthew McBride has never needed a reason to stay in Memphis. He was born here, raised here and educated here. When his career could have taken him anywhere, he chose to stay and give back to both the city and the college that shaped him. For McBride, giving back isn't a program or a policy. It's just who he is.
Now, as a land development manager and prevailing wage project manager with the City of Memphis Division of Engineering and a leader in the Urban Fellows Program, the 2020 Herff College of Engineering graduate is doing something specific with that loyalty, making sure the next generation of Memphis engineers doesn't have to figure it out alone.
The Urban Fellows Program offers local college students and recent graduates the opportunity to intern with the City of Memphis Government for 10 weeks. Each year, the city government offers summer and fall internships through the program, with students working between 15 and 28 hours per week.
“These young professionals are tomorrow’s leaders today,” McBride said. “This puts these students in a position to have experienced what their future career will require of them on a daily basis. Our students leave this internship well-rounded, spending focused time working under our professionals through mentorship, which allows them to know what their careers will require of them.”
Through Herff’s partnership with the City of Memphis and the Urban Fellows Program, students work hand-in-hand with engineering firms and construction companies across Memphis, as well as industry partners like the Memphis Grizzlies and FedEx.
“We utilize these 10 weeks to showcase what the City of Memphis has to offer completely; this exposes the students to the arts and culture, economic development, government, volunteering, and opportunities here,” McBride said.
While Herff’s students gain practical engineering experience, they also hone their public speaking skills, develop a strong sense of time management, learn how to conduct themselves in a professional environment and strengthen their communication skills.
But McBride said the program’s greatest benefit may be helping students and recent graduates better understand what they want to do in their careers. It’s an experience McBride experienced himself at the Herff College of Engineering after failing Hydrology for the third time.
“I realized there was still a pathway for me to succeed. Changing my major was one of the most difficult and fearful decisions I had ever made, but looking back, it was the right decision for my journey,” McBride said.
(Pictured: Matthew McBride, center, receiving a certificate of completion from Leadership Memphis.)
McBride, who mentors students outside of the Urban Fellows Program, saw the program help a student bring their future into focus when Andy Alvarado secured an internship. McBride coached Alvarado in baseball at Overton High School in 2023 and 2024. He quickly became familiar with Alvardo’s work ethic. When Alvarado told McBride that he needed a summer work opportunity, McBride eagerly enrolled him in the Urban Fellows Program. He joined the program as the only recent high school graduate, alongside eight college students.
Through the program, Alvarado developed a love of policy, contracts and addressing the concerns of residents. That passion ultimately led him to study criminal justice at the University of Memphis.
“Andy has continued to blossom at the University of Memphis through his academic program, student organizations, and his preparation for law school. It is amazing to see how such a unique journey — filled with growth, leadership, and purpose — all began on a baseball field,” McBride said.
Though Alvarado chose law rather than engineering, McBride said the two professions equate to the same job: being a civil servant.
“My purpose in life is to be the greatest civil servant I can be through education, restoring relationships in intentional community, and unifying people all over the world through love. Without the Herff College of Engineering, I wouldn't be the man I am today. At the end of the day, Herff College of Engineering has always stood for Humility, Excellence, Respect, Resilience, Faith, Family; Herff prepares you not only for a career in STEM but also for a purpose-driven life,” McBride said.
The City of Memphis Division of Engineering employed 24 interns in the summer of 2026, as well as 8 high school interns, offering a unique and invaluable real-world educational experience through civil service.
“We'd like to see these students become the leaders of the community, in this community,” McBride said.