“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a seemingly simple question that I was undoubtedly asked countless times when I was younger, and, to be honest, I didn’t know what I wanted to be. Even into high school, I wasn’t quite sure where my college path would lead me. I knew that I enjoyed science and math, but at the time, the word “engineering” didn’t appeal to me. When I thought of engineers, I pictured men working on machinery in a factory—not necessarily an accurate depiction but nonetheless, it didn’t strike me as a modern day, desirable profession for a young female. My mother was an electrical engineer before she became a teacher, and she encouraged me to at least attend the engineering open house tours at the universities I applied to. As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. At my first college tour, civil engineering immediately grasped my attention because it was actually four disciplines (geotechnical, environmental, structural, and transportation engineering) under one title.
In a flash, I had progressed through my freshman and sophomore level coursework, and I was still unsure which aspect of civil engineering was the most appealing to me. I finally had my “aha moment” during my junior year when I was introduced more in depth to transportation engineering and, specifically, to the Institute of Transportation Engineers. Through my involvement with ITE at the student chapter level, I was exposed to amazing research projects that covered a wide variety of advancements in transportation safety and technology. I came to realize that the transportation engineering field is much more than traffic and signal design, and through the application of science and math, you could create safer roadways and livable communities.
To my surprise, I began to meet many outstanding women behind much of this research. In a field where female engineers are often considered to be the minority, it was encouraging and empowering to see a strong female presence in transportation engineering. Dr. Eleni Christofa, one my professors at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has published many papers focused on intelligent transportation systems. She, along with my mother, was one of the driving forces behind my decision to continue my education and attend graduate school.
In graduate school, after being elected President of my ITE student chapter, I was fortunate to meet and get to know Paula Flores. At that time, she was running for ITE International Vice President, which she went on to win. In a time where young females may not have the confidence and encouragement to pursue a career in engineering, I believe it is crucial for women to hold roles and board positions within organizations such as ITE. The influential women in my life have encouraged me to continue to be engaged in transportation engineering, and I have learned that no aspiration is too big if you put your mind to it. I hope that one day, I may also inspire young females to dare to break the mold and join the field of engineering.
This week is special to engineers because it is the 2017 National Engineers Week, and this year’s theme is “Engineers Dream Big.” Additionally, February 23rd is Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. On this special day and throughout the week, I hope that we can all do our part to send messages of empowerment to our future young women engineers, on behalf of those who helped guide us to where we are today.