What did you study and where?

I received my associates degree in engineering science from a community college near my hometown in 2015. Once I graduated, a mentor helped me apply for a scholarship and I was awarded a full scholarship to obtain my Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering at a private aviation school. I was exposed to engineering at the age of 23. Up to this point, I never had any role models or even thought this track was possible for me. I got here by believing the people that set ambitious standards for me and told me that I could do anything. I believe that is what is going to take me far in this career and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

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Working here and seeing the remarkable changes this company makes to be sustainable and spread that knowledge has not only given me the power to believe in the minor changes I can make, but the power we have to make a difference globally. ”

After interning with Arup, what made you want to join full time?

Interning with Arup was wonderful. During the summer, I learned the structure of this firm and the various tasks an engineer in my discipline would be responsible for day to day. The team of people I worked with made my experience so pleasant. Although I did not have any experience outside of the classroom, my supervisor and intern buddy made me feel capable of handling the work and instantly felt part of the team. I was afraid that my inexperience would set me apart and it would deter me from excelling, but they made sure to let me know that I was here to learn and that everything new would be a challenging process until I was more comfortable with the workflow. In those weeks I was also able to tell a lot about the core values of this firm and how they treat the people that work here. I attended EDI bursts and numerous workshops that integrated the world we live in with the work that is expected of us as engineers. I knew I found a home because I did not feel like I needed to be anyone else other than myself to be in this space.

What were some of your main takeaways from Graduate experience, our annual workshop for new graduate level employees?

After my internship and almost 8 months of officially working full-time at Arup, I was able to attend the Graduate experience. I would say it was perfect timing because I had gained enough experience to start to feel like a contributing member of this company, but I was still new enough where I wanted to connect with new engineers like me and hear how they have acclimated to the new work environment. The Grad induction was a pivotal moment for me, personally and professionally. My life completely changed after that week, and I am so thankful for the chance to have connected with so many beautiful and interesting people that were going through the same hurdles. My internship and the first 3 months in my new role were virtual. I was working remote for a long time and the Grad experience was the first time I was in a room with so many of my peers. It was a humbling experience because up until that moment, when I finally did make it into the office, I had been standing in rooms filled with people that have 10-15 years of experience under their belt. Sometimes I felt very small and couldn’t easily see myself in their shoes. Seeing and interacting with so many people that are in my position helped me finally believe that I do belong here and that my efforts will pay off if I continue to work hard at my goals.

If you could meet one designer, engineer, or architect, living or dead, who would you want to talk to and why?

Ove Arup.

While I was studying at my community college, I was invited by an honorary chapter to visit Australia and tour the Sydney Opera House. Unfortunately, my parents could not afford the trip and I missed out. I was so eager to have been invited and honestly could not believe it. It was the first time I had been offered an opportunity that involved engineering. At that time, I honestly did not think that we could afford the trip, but I tried my hardest to budget a plan to make it feasible. Before that moment I had seen this venue millions of times and was always intrigued by how they carved these blocks of concrete into something so delicate. I, of course, had no idea who Ove Arup was at the time, and it did not dawn on me to research the people responsible for designing it either. When I applied for internship, I read Arup’s key speech and the rest is history. I did not believe that he worked on the first structure that5> cemented this path for me. I do not believe in coincidences, only fate. If he were still alive, I would love to ask Ove if his vision for the future turned out as he expected and what changes he would make now to put us on a better path. I would love to know if he felt accomplished in his work and at what point did he know he was going to be a legend, if he ever did think about that. Lastly, I would love to know if he impacted the people around him as much as he would have liked, and if he could change anything about his relationships, personally or professionally, what would it be.

How has Arup's sustainability goals made an impact on your projects and/or day to day life?

Before working at Arup, I was very conscious of the damage humans are doing to the earth. Throughout my life, I have experienced few organizations and people that truly do think of the bigger picture and are trying to leave this place better than they found it. Often though, I felt like a lot of big corporations and household names only tell consumers a story they want to hear and not the truth. I was not a believer that my minor changes at home would make an impact to save the world. My perspective on this has completely changed. Working here and seeing the remarkable changes this company makes to be sustainable and spread that knowledge has not only given me the power to believe in the minor changes I can make, but the power we have to make a difference globally. The partnerships we have and the tools we use to measure embodied and operational carbon in our industry is eye opening. I do believe that as a company and as individuals we can make the world a better place after being a part of Arup.