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The following is a Q&A with Sara Irick, PE, CME, PMP, TDM-CP, a Senior Project Engineer in FPA’s Highway & Traffic Department. She has been in the engineering world for over 16 years, a Senior Project Manager for over 7 years, and joined the FPA’s Camden Office in April of 2021. After getting her degree at Lehigh University in 2007, Sara opted to get her Master’s Degree in the School of Science (MS), Civil Engineering at Villanova University while working full-time.

Can you share your journey and what motivated you to become an engineer?
My journey seems to be a typical one for many engineers. (I) loved building things as a kid. My Uncle was a metallurgical engineer and so whenever I would build something, people in my family would be like “Oh you should be an engineer, too!”. From there my mom got me involved in SWE events as a middle schooler. I ended up at Lehigh University – I was looking for a school with a Co-Op program. The Co-Op program sealed the deal for me. To participate, we had to go to school over the summer and worked in the engineering field over our Fall Junior year semester. The friends that did this program with me are still my friends to this day (20 years later!). The camaraderie from being in that intensive summer program and our common interests in the engineering field really encouraged and inspired us to work hard. If you surround yourself with great peers and good people, you can accomplish anything.

How have you seen the landscape change for women in engineering throughout your career?
I have seen the landscape change. Honestly, when I entered this field, I thought most of these issues had already been resolved. We were told growing up that we could do anything we wanted and be whatever we wanted. Unfortunately, the engineering industry had not quite caught up with the lessons our parents were teaching us. My relationships with other women in engineering have been invaluable and I hope I can continue to be that rock for the younger women entering the field today. I’m particularly proud to say that the women in our Highway & Traffic Department now outnumber the males. We are probably an exception to the rule – but I am proud of this, nonetheless.

Can you share a significant project or accomplishment that you are particularly proud of?
I have always loved being involved in projects that positively impact the community. I think that’s why I’ve always been drawn to Civil Engineering. Being able to improve the quality of life for people in our communities is a big part of the passion/drive behind working in this industry. People always talk about accomplishments as awards/projects, but I think the biggest accomplishments come in the form of life-long relationships, clients that become friends, and colleagues that become your biggest supporters. The team aspect of our work really is where most of my pride comes from.

What advice would you give to young women who are considering a career in engineering?
DO IT! As women, we often do not give ourselves enough encouragement. We think way too hard and over-analyze the pros and cons. It is not out of reach. You can do it.  Engineering isn’t easy for anyone. If you have an interest in solving problems, like to plan things out, and aren’t afraid of some critical thinking – this is an excellent option for a career. We all started off not knowing anything – it’s all about the effort you put in. This past weekend really served as a great reminder to me – I participated in the Escape the Cape Triathlon – in the AquaBike event (I only did the swim and bike portion). I medaled 1^st place in my age group. You might think I’m really fit when I say that. Nope. I was the only female in my age group to compete in the AquaBike which serves as a great reminder – You can’t win if you don’t try.

Have you had any influential mentors or role models in your journey as an engineer? How have they impacted your career?
I have had the honor of working for some excellent engineers in my career so far. The people most influential to me were clients of mine (women in engineering). One of my objectives when I was about 10 years in (engineering) was to find a good female leader to work for. There is only so much help a man can be in demonstrating leadership skills for a lady. We’d like to believe that the leadership skills are the same – but they aren’t. The way we communicate, the way we lead is different. People interpret things differently coming from a man versus a woman. We are often more clued to emotional intelligence then our counterparts. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. But I have found it very beneficial to observe and learn from other women in engineering – I like their style. This has worked well for me, it might not work for everyone, but it was what I needed at a certain point in my career.

How can we encourage more girls and young women to pursue STEM fields, particularly engineering?
I honestly think we just need more engineers in general, it’s not a man vs women thing. Our biggest challenge is to communicate to the youth what engineering is. Most of us didn’t figure out what types of work our engineering majors did until Co-Op. You learn that being good at math and science means you can be an engineer. But understanding what we do day to day is the tricky part. We need a marketing / PR makeover for our industry. We need to make engineering cool. Whenever someone makes a joke connecting poor social skills to being an engineer I cringe. These two things do not need to go together and are not synonymous. There are plenty of us (mostly at FPA maybe) that are extroverts with lives outside the office who enjoy social interaction. Let’s rebrand that!