Behind the career: Environmental Engineering

Construction Services Manager at Allnorth Consultants Limited

For Sidney, choosing to pursue environmental engineering was an easy choice.

“I always knew I wanted to do environmental [engineering] because I loved being outside and I loved the outdoors,” Sidney states when asked how she chose her specialization. A lover of the great outdoors, it only made sense that UBC and UNBC’s unique joint program for the major was the perfect fit for someone like Sidney. As a student in the environmental engineering program, she was able to earn Bachelor of Applied Science degrees from both UNBC and UBC in less than 5 years.

“I loved being able to do both UNBC and UBC because they are such different experiences” the Vancouver native explains. “When I first moved to UNBC I didn’t know anyone. However, I was able to make friends really easy, being on the UNBC soccer team and because of UNBC’s small-town feel.

Since then, Sidney has graduated from the degree and joined the industry as an EIT, working out in the field before transitioning into consulting as a project manager. Sidney’s most recent responsibility within her role at Allnorth includes managing the quality control during province-wide transportation projects! The support she received at her company really allowed her to transition into her dream path of engineer consulting. After less than 2 years as an ELT, Sidney was put in a management position. “I was nervous — I didn’t think I could do it because I was just a recent grad fresh out of school." However, her company encouraged her to take on a management role at a young age, reminding her that her young age does not define her level of qualification.

Overall, Sidney’s story acts as a reminder to never doubt yourself. Whether it is moving to a new city for your first year of university, to getting a promotion, her career journey shows that with the right support group, anything is possible!