I knew I wanted to be a civil engineer before my husband and I met at school, but I also always wanted a family. And the two were never mutually exclusive in my mind. When we were dating, even before our engagement, we talked honestly with each other about career and family. You can never be fully prepared for children, but you can have the conversations to fool yourself into think that you are! In the long run, it was those deep, sometimes painful conversations that meant there were few surprises when we actually did have a child, then another.
When I started down the path of ASCE leadership involvement, I didn't make that decision in a bubble. My husband and I both gained our licensure, me my PE and he his RA, when there were children in the house. My daughter was three when I passed my test, and 7 when my husband passed all his, only we had an 18 month old son as well! It took a lot of balancing and having each other's backs to study and work towards those goals. It's something that now we have to work out when there are deadlines, or travels that take me out of town/state. And it's something that I try to show my kids is worthwhile to me, and makes me a more balanced individual. It's showing them that I love them, but I also have a certain degree of passion for my career. Plus it helps to have a three month look ahead dry erase calendar board in our kitchen!
Lastly, I have been very fortunate to have women role models all around me. They drive me to do more and be more. Find those women in your company, and learn from them. They will help guide you through any of the challenges you face.
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Tzufit Boyle P.E., F.ASCE
Water Resources Engineer
Boynton Beach FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-10-2018 17:15
From: Tirza Austin
Subject: Parenting as an Engineer
Happy Mother's Day to all our CE moms! We are celebrating some ASCE moms in ASCENews this week. See their story.
I thought this was a great time to talk about some of the obstacles engineers encounter when balancing family and career. Let's hear from the dads too. What advice would you give a young parent thinking about starting a family during their civil engineering career?
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Tirza Austin Aff.M.ASCE
Collaborate Coordinator
ASCE
Reston VA
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