John Hellein, FRSA Educational Foundation Director - November 2025
To become a Professional Engineer (PE), a person needs four years of engineering experience and must pass the PE exam. Most of the time, engineers get the experience under their belt first and then study for and take the exam. When Morgan Davis – the son of Mike & Kimberly Davis of Davis Roofing & Sheet Metal – reaches his fourth year as an employed engineer next May, he will already have passed the exam and will be ready to apply for his PE license. Kimberly shared the news, proud of her son’s accomplishment: Morgan passed the PE exam in September.
In 2021, Morgan benefited from an FRSA Educational and Research Foundation scholarship through the Bowen, Hilson & Turner endowment. “Morgan had run out of scholarship money after three years of school and then we heard about the FRSA scholarship opportunity,” Kimberly recalled.
Morgan recalls the challenges he faced that year, "As a young adult, having to borrow for my education in a field I hadn’t even found an internship or work opportunity for was very daunting. With the ever increasing cost of education, times are tough for young, aspiring students pursuing a degree in any field or discipline. FRSA and similar institutions that invest in the future of industry and America really are the heroes of their communities. I really appreciated receiving the FRSA scholarship, because it gave me peace of mind while pursuing my dream and sheltered me from having to finance my classes. I guess I would say that FRSA was my metaphorical roof during trying times."
In his final year at the University of Southern Alabama, where he focused on structural engineering, Morgan discovered an opportunity to serve as an intern at Gulf States Engineering. The day he graduated, he received a job offer from the company and has been there since.
“Until we talk him into coming to work at Davis Roofing,” Kimberly quipped. Morgan, 26, plans to obtain his roofing contractor license and has started to study for the exam. He is the youngest of three Davis sons. The oldest serves in the Air Force and the other works at Davis Roofing & Sheet Metal.