I come from a family of engineers, so at a young age I was immersed in all kinds of robotic and computer summer camps, as well as a ridiculous amount of Legos and K’NEX. I loved creating—anything, really. The overall feeling of having made something that was uniquely mine was tremendously empowering and exciting. Pairing this creativity with compassion and a desire to help others, I began to realize that I could combine these loves into a lifelong, exciting career.

I went to a very small engineering school—we actually had a ratio of five men to every woman when I started. For the most part, I had a wonderful college career. I did have one professor incessantly tell me not to wear perfume, or dress nicely, and that “Men like the smell of men, not ‘whatever I was wearing.’” That experience definitely did make me stop for a minute and question what I was doing. Was this how life would be once I graduated—an everyday occurrence?

It honestly did really make me nervous about what I was endeavoring to do, but I didn’t let it stop me. I can’t lie and say that I’m not constantly facing adversity and scrutiny—especially on field visits and job sites. Engineering unfortunately continues to be a male-dominated industry, but I choose to face each situation with strength, perseverance, and grace—and that’s yet to fail me.

My first job is actually one of my favorite experiences. I was working at the Arkansas Department of Transportation as a Field Engineer. Basically, I supervised road construction crews all day. Instinctively, when you begin your first career, you really want to demonstrate the knowledge you gained at college. I quickly learned that that wasn’t going to be a productive approach. I was working with a team of men that had been doing construction since they were 18—they could literally work in their sleep.

Trying to school them in the methodologies I had read in books and studied at university, I was quickly put in my place. I learned that even with a college education, you have to start at the bottom. You have to re-learn everything because real life never goes as planned. I can’t use a single equation for every problem and come up with the correct answer—factors and constraints are always changing. The biggest lesson, and what I am so grateful to have understood so early in my career, is to learn as much as you can from those that came before you. There is a ridiculous amount of knowledge available to you from just listening and watching others. Never assume respect is automatically given. Prove yourself and stay humble.

I work on the design and structural analysis of high-voltage power line structures—typically those that carry power across the country. My clients are utility companies, and we collaborate on ways to mitigate clearance, landowner complaints, and structure failure issues. Sometimes I design brand new, higher-voltage lines. Other times, I make significant upgrades to existing lines. I also have a significant role in the management, scheduling, and budgeting of projects. It’s challenging work that's always changing and engaging.

It’s definitely key to get the entire project team together for a kick-off meeting, where [we can go over] the scope of work, schedules, and budgets. This ensures all team members are starting on the same page and know the expectations. Weekly update meetings are also helpful. So many companies have remote offices now, so that constant collaboration and checking in is key to project success. I love Asana. It’s basically a massive project management tool—and it’s free! You can assign different tasks to different people, make notes of statuses, and even share documents. It’s been a lifesaver for those remote projects!

While that image isn’t too far off, that’s only a portion of what I do on the daily. I attend a lot of client meetings, which really helps to foster relationships and plays a very important role in project success. I also get the opportunity to go on site visits quite frequently. Not only is it incredibly rewarding to see my designs come to light, it’s also a wonderful way to expand my understanding of our nation’s power system—there's only so much you can learn from books! I think one of the biggest misconceptions—and something that unfortunately draws a lot of people away from the industry—is that everyone is super weird and introverted or that you’re entering the land of pocket protectors. These stereotypes couldn’t be further from the truth.  We’re normal, fun people! Maybe we get really excited about everything math and science—but hey, the world is a fascinating place!

For me, it’s been an incredible experience. Walking into a meeting with men who have been in the industry for years, owning the floor, and holding your own is so amazingly empowering! Initially, I felt that it would be difficult to get respect from very seasoned people. As women, though, we tend to be more empathetic. We form relationships, and we have sincere interests in others and their lives. This is so advantageous in working with clients—they start to look forward to seeing us, share milestones their kids have had, talk about their weekends. When projects have mishaps or schedules get behind (which will always happen), these genuine bonds can be a saving grace. You are much more likely to get some compassion and that additional change order from those whom you share connections with.

I really encourage women interested in engineering to pursue it!  There are a tremendous amount of opportunities available and it’s an incredibly rewarding field. I believe a lot of women get discouraged and turned off by the negative stereotypes that are unfortunately still floating around—many of those pertaining to a lack of femininity. Trust me, I still wear stilettos and get my hair done. You can make this career your own and that’s truly what I love about it—it’s such a melting pot. You’ve got the people that want nothing more than to do research and calculations all day, those that want to manage and ensure projects are on track, and those that immerse themselves in selling abilities and skills to potential clients.  Possibilities seriously are endless. As far as suggested technical skills to hone in, a strong understanding in management, scheduling, and problem solving will help out substantially!

As a rule of thumb, I don’t think you’re able to really get a feel for a city until you’ve lived there for a little over a year. I am an avid believer in following your instincts and going with your gut. There is so much opportunity out there that if I start to feel like I’d like to try something new, I start looking for new positions and go! I tend to be more of a gypsy soul, so I actually really enjoy the challenge of starting over in a new city where I don’t know anyone—but I totally realize how scary this is! Joining professional societies and volunteer organizations has proven to be a fantastic way to get involved and meet new people. I also am a member of an amazing sorority, Chi Omega, so I always connect to the local alumni chapter, too. Cup-in-hand kickball leagues are a sure way to make some lasting friendships, as well!

I started up a resume business right after college and it was really beneficial in helping me get a savings account going. I made a free website on Wix, posted free ads on Craigslist, and was amazed at the traffic I started getting! I had no idea that so many people felt so lost when writing resumes—something that seemed to be second nature to me.  Side businesses can be so helpful in reaching many of the goals you have for yourself or just living out additional passions. I encourage anyone looking to start something on the side to choose something they love. Putting one of your true interests into the world to better others, all on its own, will bring you a great deal of business.

I’m enrolling in business school to learn more about project management and how to run an organization overall. I’m also slated to take my Professional Engineering exam this year. A passing score on that test will give me the ability to sign off on drawings and designs. I would love to combine these milestones and develop a non-profit organization, assisting third-world countries with sustainable design efforts in regards to housing, education, and sanitation.