In March 2026, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is celebrating chemical engineering’s role in turning lab discoveries into practical benefits for society, improving safety, efficiency, and sustainability in producing medicines, fuels, and materials. Raquan Hall, a Howard University chemical engineering graduate, spent over a decade in the Navy’s environmental internship program before founding Hall Group Design Engineering Firm LLC, a women-owned business collaborating across multiple disciplines to deliver building solutions. Hall’s firm has completed projects like transforming a barbershop into a salon and designing an artisan bakery. Early in her career, Hall managed major military construction programs and earned several awards, including the Meritorious Service Award. After leaving the Department of Defense in 2015, she focused on her business, which promotes sustainability and offers internships encouraging engineers to consider environmental and community impacts. Read Ms. Hall's career story in her own words.
Growing up, I imagined becoming a doctor or a lawyer. What drew me to those professions was the opportunity to care for and help others while still earning enough to enjoy life—traveling, supporting my parents for their sacrifices, and experiencing what the world had to offer without financial constraints. But by the time I graduated high school, the sobering reality of spending another 6+ years in school led me to consider a degree in Business Administration.
During high school, I was a triple student-athlete and spent most of my time after school in competitive sports. I played volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter, and ran track and field in the spring.
What began as a way to spend time with friends gradually became another important part of my development, teaching me discipline, resilience, and the value of pushing through difficult moments.
By the beginning of my senior year, those lessons began paying off in ways I hadn’t expected. I received two four-year athletic scholarship offers - a basketball scholarship to Florida A&M University and a volleyball scholarship to Howard University.
Basketball had always been my favorite sport, but Howard was my dream school. So I made a decision that would profoundly shape the rest of my life in ways I could never have imagined. I chose Howard and embraced volleyball in a new way.
After exploring the academic programs at Howard, I learned that the School of Business was ranked among the top programs in the country, which led to my decision to pursue Business Administration.
The Conversation That Changed Everything
Sometimes the most important turning points in life happen in ordinary moments. As a student-athlete, tutoring was mandatory.
During my freshman year, my assigned math tutor was a Teaching Assistant (TA) pursuing his graduate degree in chemical engineering. I cannot remember his name, but his influence during those few months was used to be pivotal to where I am today. He often remarked on how quickly I grasped mathematical concepts and theoretical ideas. One day, he asked a simple question: "Quan, have you ever considered engineering?"
He often remarked on how quickly I grasped mathematical concepts and theoretical ideas. One day, he asked a simple question: Quan, have you ever considered engineering?
I hadn’t. To me, engineering felt distant— a major pursued by others. But he continued explaining how engineers help shape communities and solve real-world problems. When I asked which field he would recommend, he answered without hesitation. Chemical engineering, because of its broad influence and strong earning potential. In that moment, something clicked. My childhood vision to help others while providing for myself and family suddenly had a path. By the end of my freshman year, I changed my major to chemical engineering. It was a bold decision. What I didn’t yet realize was how difficult that decision would become.
Learning the Language of Chemical Engineering
The next four years as a chemical engineering student-athlete were anything but easy.
Chemical engineering felt like learning an entirely new language—one filled with complex theories and technical terminology that were difficult to translate using everyday experience.
In addition, being a student-athlete meant I often missed lectures on game days, which created significant knowledge gaps that gradually affected my confidence to ever being a successful engineering student.
By my fifth year, I had reached an academic all-time low and earned a solid 0.5 GPA that semester. At that point, I decided to take a break from school – a break that unintentionally lasted four years.
During that time, I worked long-hour minimum-wage jobs earning $7 an hour. Those years were humbling, but invaluable.
I experienced firsthand what life might look like without finishing my degree. It became a powerful source of motivation. It strengthened my determination to return to school and to complete what I had started.
The Door of Opportunity
The decision to return to chemical engineering after what felt like a major failure became another turning point.
My 4-year scholarship had ended; the small amount of money I saved from working was stretched between rent, transportation, and utility bills.
But I had built enough credit history to qualify for a one-time student loan without a parent co-signer. It was just enough resources that opened one door of opportunity to complete my final year.
This time, failure was not an option. I spent countless days and nights in the library. Sometimes the decision was simple: use my limited money to travel home or to eat a meal.
Many nights, I chose a meal and the library. I would reread the same paragraphs about unit operations, process design, and control systems over and over again.
I studied different types of dictionaries to understand the meaning of common words used in technical jargon. I was constantly searching through reference books to understand the origins and history behind engineering concepts.
Day after day, night after night, I repeated the same process. What began as long nights of confusion slowly turned into moments of clarity. Concepts that once felt impossible to understand began making sense.
I was mastering a new language—not just the language of engineering, but the language of chemical engineering, widely considered one of the most rigorous disciplines in the field.
An Unexpected Outcome
My constant presence in the library became so common it caught the attention of other students.
Some of the top performers in the program – including the valedictorian and other 4.0 GPA chemical engineering classmates – began joining me to discuss assignments and concepts.
Through those conversations, I discovered something unexpected.
Because I wrestled so deeply to understand concepts, I was able to break down complex theories into simple, relatable explanations where others could understand the material more clearly.
In the process of helping others learn how to help themselves, my own technical understanding and confidence grew. It was an eye-opening realization: what once felt impossible became possible when mental obstacles were intentionally removed.
At the end of that year, I walked across the stage and received my Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from my favorite university in the world—Howard University.
A Career of Firsts
Chemical engineering taught me that perseverance can transform confusion into clarity and setbacks into opportunity. My journey to becoming a chemical engineer was used to open doors of extraordinary opportunities and professional accomplishments.
Over the course of my career, I became:
- The Naval Facilities Engineering Command’s first intern civilian to transition directly into a project manager–engineer leadership position
- The first program manager–engineer to oversee a construction office for the $1B Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland
- The first program manager–engineer director selected to create a project management/engineering curriculum and provide training to strengthen performance across the Naval Facilities engineering workforce
In recognition of this work, I was awarded the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award—the third-highest honorary civilian award in the Navy.
I also earned my Professional Engineer (PE) license, one of the most respected credentials in the engineering profession and one achieved by less than 30% of engineers.
Building the Next Chapter: HGD
After 15 years in the Navy’s inspiring leadership environment, I felt called to take the next step—to move beyond building and managing capital resources for government projects and begin building something of my own.
That vision led me to create HGD—Hall Group Design Engineering Firm, a private engineering and architectural firm focused on delivering thoughtful, efficient building design solutions.
Since its founding, HGD has grown from a startup concept into a firm delivering engineering and architectural services across multiple public sector and community-focused industries.
I have enjoyed the journey of building and scaling a company from the ground up while seeing the impact our work has had on communities.
This year, HGD is tracking to surpass the $1 million revenue milestone—a reflection of strong client relationships, repeat collaborations, and operational excellence.
Over the next five years, our focus is on expanding strategic partnerships, increasing our presence in both public sector and private development projects, and strengthening the capacity and expertise of our workforce.
We are also investing in automation tools to integrate our knowledge base and expertise with innovative processes and enhanced efficiencies to create pricing models that allow us to better serve small businesses and residential clients with greater accessibility.
Enjoy the Journey
In honor of Women’s History Month and the National Academy of Engineering’s focus on chemical engineering, I encourage every woman, every chemical engineer, and every engineer to embrace the journey.
Every turn - both accomplishments and setbacks - is part of the adventure. Each moment offers an opportunity to grow in the present while preparing for the future.
It's during our moments of greatest weakness and vulnerability when God’s brilliance in us is rooted and transformation takes place. In due time, those seeds of experiences grow and branch outward – allowing others to witness just how capable and resilient we are. Sometimes the path we plan is not the one we walk—but every step can prepare us for the purpose we were meant to fulfill.