Sassan Mahobian

It’s hard to be believe that in a few months, it will be 50 years since Sassan Mahobian moved to the United States from Iran to pursue an education in engineering. After spending one semester in the University of Kansas’s ESL program, Mahobian moved to Kansas City, Kan. and began attending KCKCC. He lived in an apartment just south of the campus with two other roommates who also went on to earn their engineering degrees.

“We all attended KCKCC and walked to school every day,” he said about his time at KCKCC in the mid 1970s. “I had a great time at KCKCC and learned a lot by taking the (prerequisite) courses for engineering such calculus, chemistry and physics. KCKCC provided a highly affordable stepping stone for me to pursue my education.”

Mahobian continued working toward his engineering degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where he received a bachelor of science and master of science in civil engineering. He is now the president of SK Design Group, a civil engineering company that was established in 1989 by Mahobian and his wife Katereh, who is also an alum of KCKCC. The pair were married in 1982. SK Design Group has served clients in Kansas and Missouri for more than 34 years and recently opened an office in Denver, Colo. in 2022. SK Design has worked on some of the most iconic projects in the region, with a strong emphasis on educational facilities. One of those projects is the new KCK Community Education, Health, and Wellness Center in downtown Kansas City, Kan.

“Some of my fondest memories of KCKCCC are the relationships I forged with some of the professors, each of whom had a role in shaping my future,” he said. “One of those professors was Dr. John Ryan who left a lasting impression on me. He taught history and was an amazing professor.”