Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
Girl Day (February 25, 2021) is a worldwide campaign to engage girls in engineering. Thousands of people–engineers, educators, and others–act as role models, facilitate engineering activities, and educate girls about how engineers change our world. Rani is fortunate to have a group of skilled female engineers with a combined 66 years of experience. The group was asked, “What inspires you about being an engineer?”
Savannah Hintsala
There are a few things about engineering that inspire me. The first being that engineering is such a broad term that encompasses so many different fields and within those fields there are many different ways that engineering is applied. I am also inspired by engineering because it requires you to use both sides of the brain to think creatively and analytically in order to find solutions. The other thing that engineering requires is teamwork and collaboration. It’s inspiring to see people come together from different backgrounds to work toward a common goal that improves everyday life for society. Civil engineering specifically inspires me because the purpose of the work we do is to improve the utility and safety of the infrastructure that people use every day!
Amanda Bergstrom, PE, CPESC, LEED AP BD+C
As a civil engineer, I enjoy opportunities to work on projects that improve the quality of life for the people who live in our communities as well as the surrounding environment. I believe engineers have a unique opportunity and responsibility to use emerging and existing technologies with applied science to create innovative solutions to improve our built environment. I feel that engineers do their best work when collaborating with other professionals including architects, landscape architects, and environmental scientists, as well as public officials and community leaders to include public input on new projects. In my experience, working in multi-disciplinary teams cultivates personal and professional growth and exposure to new ideas and promotes a culture of progress that is less likely to be achieved when working alone.
Yoko Nomura, EIT
What is exciting about my work is that every week is different. Every project brings a different set of challenges and collaboration requirements that challenge me to be creative and continue to grow. Some tasks may seem small and insignificant, yet when you see how all the small pieces work and come together to build something big, you realize that every task is important to ensure the safety and the ease of use for everyone. This understanding motivates me and helps me feel passionate about what I do every day. A bonus of being an Engineer is that you feel grateful for the simple aspects of the cities and infrastructure around you as you get to see first-hand all the hard work of so many to build and maintain a city. When I turn on hot water, I understand that it takes hundreds of people’s hard work to make it possible. I hope that more young people will consider becoming a part of this exciting community of engineers.
Heather Spencer, PE
I enjoy the problem-solving aspects of engineering and the fact that I get to participate in making tangible improvements to our built environment. There’s also a lot of collaboration with other engineers, architects, government officials and community members, so I get to use communication skills more than I expected when I initially chose the profession.
Kaylyn Haley, PE
The end result of the projects inspires me to be an engineer. It is very enjoyable to see a project come together that will improve the lives of the general public, whether they know it or not. It is also very motivating to solve a problem for the project that can help the project, and improve the plans.
Becca Welch
I like that Civil Engineering works with and for people, combining civil service and engineering. I always wanted to work in a field that feels useful and that I can contribute something to the community that feels positive.
