What started as a senior project at Alaska Pacific University became the foundation for a business that would grow into one of Alaska’s established heavy civil construction companies.

Amie Sommer ’00, co-owner of Tutka, LLC, came to APU looking for an environmental science degree that would build on the experience she had already gained working in environmental fields. She was also balancing work, a young family and the demands of completing her education.

APU’s flexibility allowed her to make the most of her previous coursework and focus on classes she knew she could apply professionally.

“I didn’t feel like I wasted any money or time,” Sommer said.

At the same time, Sommer and her sister were building what would eventually become Tutka. For her APU senior project, she developed a business plan, created cash-flow projections, conducted research and incorporated her environmental science knowledge into the company’s foundation.

The business launched in 1999, and Sommer graduated from APU with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science in 2000.

Over the years, Tutka evolved from its early focus on environmental work and oil and gas instrumentation into a company specializing primarily in bridge construction and heavy civil projects. Sommer and her husband made strategic decisions about where to focus the company’s resources, including knowing when to step away from services that no longer made sense for the business.

“The hardest thing to do is to quit something you’ve been doing for so long,” she said.

For Sommer, success also means creating opportunities for others. Tutka regularly brings in college students and young people as interns, giving them hands-on experience and a chance to discover whether construction and business might be the right path for them.

“You just need the opportunity,” Sommer said.

That commitment to building the next generation extends into the community. Tutka helped construct Colony High School’s Founders Field, a project that brought together local businesses and community members and ultimately gave the school the opportunity to host home baseball games.

More than two decades after graduating, Sommer continues to build, from businesses and infrastructure to careers and opportunities for young people. Her APU experience gave her the opportunity to connect education with real-world work, and that connection continues to shape how she approaches business and community today.