Marketing volunteer Tanisha Sahu (TS) interviewed past attendee Kirsten Eewes (KE), on her challenges choosing engineering and the impact the Women in Engineering Summit had on her career.

Tanisha: You were born and raised here in Canada and chose a career in Engineering. Being that female representation in Engineering is around 20%, what challenges did you face while you were studying and after you graduated.

Kirsten: Being a young female engineering student and engineer-in-training (EIT) definitely came with some challenges. One of my earliest memories was of frosh week and we were all given nicknames on the back of our t-shirt. My roommates were nicknamed “Wet” and “Wild” and I was nicknamed “Fuzzy Peach.” I didn’t understand the reference at first but quickly learned that it was referring to female genitalia. Throughout my university days I attended various events and there was no shortage of vulgar and misogynistic songs being sung. That being said, I never had any issues with my classmates. They didn’t exclude me from any events and they were always willing to collaborate on assignments and projects. So it was really up to me to decide what my comfort level was in participating.
As an EIT, things changed a little bit. By then I was used to hanging out with men and hearing things that occasionally made me uncomfortable. The part that I wasn’t sure how to navigate was the hierarchy. At school we were somewhat all equal; at work there were experienced engineers, electricians, and management to interact with. I remember a moment where I felt really picked on as a female. I was working in an office downtown and the company had a focus on ergonomics. I had a sit-stand desk so on days where I was doing a lot of computer work by myself, I would wear my running shoes and spend a large part of the day standing. Of course I would occasionally leave my office to use the washroom or get a coffee, but otherwise it was focused work.
One day I was visited by my supervising engineer with a message that our manager wanted to remind me of the office dress code and that running shoes were not appropriate attire. Looking back, I wish I would’ve stood up for myself because a) plenty of the men wore running shoes at the office and b) if my manager had a problem with my shoes, why didn’t he come speak with me directly? There could’ve been a good conversation about getting a standing mat or understanding the concern from his perspective.

TS: How did you come across WES?

KE: I first heard about WES through work. My company was a sponsor and they had been given some tickets. I received an email asking if I would like to attend. After checking out the website, it sounded right up my alley: an empowering space for women and gender-diverse folks in engineering to gather and connect with each other.

TS: How did WES help you?

KE: WES has been an amazing way to stay connected to my career and other professionals. I was on parental leave in 2020 when I first attended WES virtually. I was so glad to be able to be home with my little one AND dedicate some time to my own professional growth. A lot of events were virtual that year so by the time I attended WES, I felt comfortable navigating a virtual space. I remember the chat was buzzing with energy. My favourite session was the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Panel discussion.

I thought the panelists brought an amazing diversity of perspectives and I was sad when that conversation had to end! I was really inspired by Jessica Vandenberghe in particular and continue to follow her and her work on social media. After that first summit, I decided to become a volunteer for WES and that allowed me to connect with even more inspiring professionals. I had a fantastic time leading one of the committees with Andrea Marciales. Working with her opened my eyes to the experiences that immigrants face coming to work in Canada. I continue to attend the Summits and even had the opportunity to be a panelist in 2024 which was an amazing experience. WES has certainly been a highlight for me over the past 5 years and I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of incredible people.

TS: What advice do you have for someone pursuing their P.Eng.?

KE: I honestly never thought about becoming an engineer when I was younger. My dad never graduated high school and my mom didn’t have a degree, so it was something very foreign to me. But I was interested in math and science and my parents encouraged me to give it a try. Although I rolled my eyes at the time, I think my dad was right that getting your P.Eng. opens almost any door. It’s a highly respected profession. You can use a P.Eng. as a launchpad to almost any career. For me, it’s been a way to try all sorts of different roles. I did technical work to obtain my P.Eng., then I tried Project Management, then I took on a role as a Senior Engineer managing a portfolio of work over $100 million, and now I’m leading a team of fantastic engineers, EITs, technologists and engineering coop students.

TS: What would you say to someone considering attending WES?

KE: Join us! WES delivers incredible value straight to your own home or office. With a fully virtual event, you don’t need to make a huge financial or time commitment to attend. You can attend from anywhere and, like me in 2020, you can even attend with a baby in your lap. You never know who you might meet and what you might learn that will make the difference for your life and career. This year I’m super excited to be joining some of my EPCOR colleagues and attending WES as part of a Watch Party. Funny story: I actually met Kim Alcorn, who invited me to the Watch Party, through WES! If you’d like to connect about WES, my experience as a female engineer, or juggling working and parenting life, please feel free to add me to your LinkedIn network!

TS: To watch the panel session in which Kirsten participated in 2024, and many more, please visit WES YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/k7Zxo8to-NE?si=LyO5efV9ya-o0Rx0).