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The following is a Q&A with Lena Barone, PE, a Senior Project Manager in FPA’s Civil/Site Department. Lena has over 25 years of engineering experience, and has been with FPA for a year and a half now. She is a graduate of the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), where she acquired a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Civil Engineering, and Stevens Institute of Technology, where she acquired a Master’s of Engineering Degree in Civil Engineering.

Can you share your journey and what motivated you to become an engineer?
When I was young and going through school, I always liked math and physics and I knew that I wanted to do something that involved both. When it was time for me to go to college, I had to decide between architecture and engineering, eventually leading to majoring in civil engineering. My uncle was also a mechanical engineer, so I had some inspiration to become an engineer from my family as well. Thanks to my uncle, I heard about the business in engineering quite a bit.

How have you seen the landscape change for women in engineering throughout your career?
There are so many more women in engineering than when I first started, because when I was in college, there were very few women studying civil engineering. Today, there are a lot more female engineers, including in leadership roles. I have worked on a few projects that are ran by female teams, including developers, architects and engineers.

Can you share a significant project or accomplishment that you are particularly proud of?
I really can’t single one project out. However, every time I drive by a development that I was involved in, I take great pride in it. Every time you finish a project and see the end result come to life; you really feel that you have accomplished something.

What advice would you give to young women who are considering a career in engineering?
If you really want to succeed, the most important thing is to get out there and say yes to any opportunity. It is important to be available, work hard, and work on as many different projects as possible. This will give you great exposure in the field of engineering. The more you do the more you learn.  This experience will lead to more connections and more opportunities in the future.

Have you had any influential mentors or role models in your journey as an engineer? If so, how have they impacted your career?
Definitely! From the very beginning, I have been mentored. My first boss, who was also a woman, has been a huge mentor for me. Working with her, I was able to see somebody who was successful and get a lot of insights into how she did her job. As I advanced in my career  and learned new things, I got to know more people and was able to build more mentoring relationships throughout my career. I learned from a variety of mentors on how to develop relationships in the business and how to handle difficult situations. Everybody does things differently, so it is important to  learn from them and create your own path.

How can we encourage more girls and young women to pursue STEM fields, particularly engineering?
We must come up with clever ways to help engage both boys and girls in the field of engineering. One way I was engaged at such a young age was I realized I loved to build things, so I built houses out of Legos for my Barbie Dolls. I think public speaking about engineering can help, but as a kid when somebody is just talking to you, odds are the kid is only half paying attention, so making them engage in hands on activities is important. At FPA, it is great that we participate in Bring Your Kid to Work Day and to have the kids build things out of popsicle sticks.  We should focus on providing more hands-on experiences, especially for younger, elementary to middle school kids to get them interested in engineering.