‘Fulfilled by my time here’: UK honors grad blends engineering and management on path to Toyota
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 16, 2025) — As she prepares to cross the Commencement stage Dec. 19, Evelyn Hinz is reflecting on a University of Kentucky journey that brought together engineering, business and honors — and ultimately shaped the start of her career.
A mechanical engineering major from Lexington, Hinz is part of the Scholars in Engineering and Management (SEAM) Pathway, a distinctive program housed in the Lewis Honors College that spans the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering and the Gatton College of Business and Economics.
Hinz said SEAM gave her both community and confidence.
“I made some of my closest friends through the SEAM Pathway,” she said. “It was really nice to have a group of people outside of mechanical engineering who I stayed with all four years. The classes were interesting, and they made being an honors student while being an engineering major feel more manageable.”
That blend of engineering and management — along with UK’s longstanding partnership with Toyota — helped open doors early in Hinz’ college career. She interned every summer starting after her freshman year, including four rotations with Toyota.
“I took a Toyota-sponsored lean manufacturing course through SEAM, and companies really liked seeing that on my résumé,” she said. “When I talked to Toyota about interning and eventually working with them, it felt like a little check mark. I think it helped me get in the door.”
In January, Hinz will begin her full-time role as a body production engineer at Toyota’s Production Engineering Manufacturing Center in Georgetown. She credits her hands-on experiences, her engineering courses and the tight-knit support she found on campus for preparing her for this moment.
“There were times when I thought, ‘There’s no way I can do this,’” she said. “Some classes I had to retake. But I kept reminding myself that I belonged in engineering — that I had already proved that through my internships. If you’re passionate about something, you keep going. You can do it.”
As Commencement approaches, Hinz is feeling both gratitude and excitement.
“I’m going to miss my friends and the places I’ve spent so much time,” she said. “But overall, I feel fulfilled by my experience. UK has given me leadership opportunities, professional connections and relationships that have really changed me. I feel ready for what comes next.”
Watch the video above to learn more about Hinz’s UK journey.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.