Photo Shutterstock via Patrick Foto
…..Is a common response I hear when I tell people about my profession. These replies are from smart savvy men and women. This statement is almost followed by “I’m not very good at math”.
“But you could do it if you really want to”! I respond. There was a time when I didn’t think I could do it either.
I worked hard to become an engineer. I came from a low middle class family whose background with in law enforcement and farming. I was the first in my family to graduate from college. I did well throughout school, but math was my weakest subject. I had to work and study hard when others did not, but I loved the beautiful simplicity when a problem was solved.
Why engineering? How did I even find out that the career was an option?
My family owned a hobby farm, so there were always spare supplies to build forts, bike ramps, and other things to create and explore. I was always known for mobilizing a group of neighborhood kids (and parents) to build and create things. My father always joked that he had to leave work to go home to his real boss (me) because I always had a list of things for him to do for me.
I learned about science and engineering as a career through my involvement in Girl Scouts. It was so fun doing hands on experiments and thinking of new things to invent and problems to solve. They brought in women to talk about their careers as science and engineering leaders, so this seemed like a viable career path even though I didn’t personally know an engineer in our circle of family and friends.
I worked hard to get into and remain in the engineering field, and although I’m a little surprised each time when people admit that they couldn’t do a certain career because they’re just not good at something, I make sure to tell them my story about hard work, adopting a growth mindset, and the importance of perseverance in our respective journeys to achieve our dreams.
Why choose your career? Did you choose ease of talent or perseverance, or a combination of both?
