Tell us something interesting about your role or Industry.
My role involves designing drinking water infrastructure to provide clean water-an essential part of our daily life. Knowing that my work impacts people's lives makes it very fulfilling.
I chose engineering because I like solving problems on a large scale. I liked the idea that if you could create workable systems I could help lots of people as opposed to working with people on a one-to-one basis.
My expertise ranges from Process Control and Automation, Hydraulics Pipeline Design, Water Quality Evaluation, Water Treatment Technology Assessment and Stakeholder Engagement and Management. My primary responsibilities are to design water treatment systems and infrastructure that treat and convey clean drinking water to the public for human consumption. I deliver and implement to our water clients the planned scope of engineering work. This may include rehabilitation of existing water infrastructure or designing of new water infrastructure.
I am typically involved in all stages of front-end engineering from feasibility to detailed design. I am a design integrator in which I synergize the solutions from the mechanical, electrical, and civil engineers. I am responsible for presenting and communicating with clients and the operational teams the optimized solution that would meet their needs while taking into account any reservations and concerns they may have. I am also responsible for producing a range of design and technical documentation, conducting client site visits as necessary to understand our clients’ challenges and providing quality assurance of others work by surveillance and checking. I was recently awarded the opportunity to be on the Advisory EDI Committee for the Water and Natural Environment unit on race and cultural related issues. In this role, I advise the unit's executive board on the current challenges in growing and retaining ethnic minority staff.
I am co-leading a Black, African, Caribbean forum that acts as an accelerator to provide these individuals a sense of belonging and reinforce their exposure to opportunities and training that would elevate their careers. These two positions allow me to be a liaison with leadership and employees in communicating employees' needs, challenges while developing practical business solutions that can be implemented.
I am personally proud of overcoming imposter syndrome and anxiety that I faced over so many years. I did not believe that I could achieve great things. I was so riddled with fear of failure that I would never attempt to pursue anything beyond my reach or control. Now, my belief and confidence in myself and the work I produce has increased tenfold.
I am very excited everyday now to share my growth with others through my work and leadership of the Mott MacDonald Black, African and Caribbean (BAC) Forum and mentorship of early career professionals. Professionally, I am proud of being able to get scholarships to pursue both my bachelor’s and master’s degree programs-a huge weight off my parents’ shoulders. I am also grateful to have successfully graduated from both of these programs. I am also proud of obtaining my professional engineering license and actually be an engineer.
