My brother and I grew up as the innocent subjects of my father's engineering propaganda. We have carried math and science with us our entire lives, and while he was swept up into the dinner table discussions of mechanized squid cleaning right away, for me it wasn't always a career path.
From when I was nine up until I was about twelve, I wanted to be an actress. As a quiet young girl who had few friends and was made fun of for having cooties, and perhaps also as the second child, I liked the recognition I got from being on stage. I thought being the star of the show would make my peers see me as important. So, when I didn't get the lead in my junior high production of "Hello Dolly", I was crushed. But what made it ok, what made me still feel special, was skipping two grade levels in math to take 9th grade algebra as a 7th grader. I was never really that crazy about theatre anyways, I just wanted to be valued.
If all I was looking for was recognition, why did it feel good to be in a math classroom under the shadow of my older brother? The truth is, I have never actually been in his shadow. I have a brilliant, shining spot in my family. I'm the artistically talented, compassionate one who still has every practical screw in her head still intact, and they know it. And my academic choices reflect it. Civil engineering allows me to be creative in structural design and to contribute to people's lives in a vital way. Ultimately though, it gives me the opportunity to connect with my gear-headed relatives on my own terms.
Math and science are the 5th and 6th members of my family. Engineering is not a fall back career for a failed actress. It is a symbol of my family's support, and a source of pride in the household I come from.
Why do I do what I do? Because I get to share it with the people who love me the most.
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