Can you share a bit about your journey and what led you to work in water?

I’ve always had a love of the environment and growing up in south Florida meant the environment focused on water. Not only is the water beautiful and calming but it is also essential for our survival. To me, protecting our water sources felt like the most impactful thing I could do with my career and I’m proud of what I have been able to accomplish. From production wellfield projects, focused on responsibly sourcing raw water from aquifers for treatment and public consumption, to septic to sewer conversion projects, which focus on the reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus in our groundwater, my career to date has been guided by my commitment to our natural environment.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I honestly enjoy several parts of my job but the common thread through those components is the opportunity to collaborate. At the core of any engineer is the ability to solve problems (whether they arise with the project team or technical design) and that’s what I find I am able to accomplish while collaborating.

Why is celebrating women in water so important?

I was very fortunate to grow up in a family that always told me I could do anything. I never felt stifled or pushed to do anything other than my best in every situation. As I started to develop an interest in engineering, I noticed my peers were not typically women and for the first time, I realized how unique my perspective was within this industry. Now that I’m coming up on 15 years of experience, I am confident that is it critical that “the table” is filled with unique perspectives, and women provide that. We can’t keep guiding our clients to do the same old thing. We are facing evolving and multi-faceted challenges within the water industry which require new and innovative solutions. Celebrating women is important because we are bringing this perspective to the industry.

What is a moment or project you are most proud of?

I’m most proud of the moment I passed my professional engineering exam. I have wanted to be an engineer ever since I was very young and to see that dream become a reality was so impactful to my identity. It was proof of what I’ve known my entire life: I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.

What kind of community do you hope to help build?

My goal is to create a community that is open to new perspectives and so supportive of its members that ego and bias won’t define a person’s role. It has been a pleasure to cultivate that in my corner of the industry through mentorship and communication. I don’t always get it right, but I will continue to try my best.

This community I’m working towards means something more to me now that I am also a new mom. Although my daughter is only 8 months, I can already see her adventurous spirit and inquisitive mind. Whether she grows up to be an engineer or not, I am really hopeful that this community of strong female voices in STEM will become her reality.

We thank Sam and our Sustaining Partner, Wade Trim, for supporting Women Leading Water and sharing their perspective with our community!