​Emily Peddle


Profile

Name: Emily Peddle

Occupation: Process Engineer, Graduate Student

Education: Bachelor of Engineering
Starting Masters of Health Ethics in September 2020

Wha​t does y​our typical workday involve?

​I am not working at the moment as an Engineer, I am excited to get back in the classroom and continue my education! However, the co-op program at MUN allowed me to gain a significant amount of experience in the oil and gas industry. I had the opportunity to travel and work with some amazing people! Through these workterms I experienced working in both an office and field environment. I really enjoyed the variety of experiences that I had, it was great to see first hand how the work day changed depending on your work environment.

What do you most love about your profession? Why did you choose this career?

​I love the opportunity to meet new people, travel and have new experiences while working in a rewarding field. Even as a student everyday brings a new set of challenges which allows you to find what your passionate about and work towards that career.
My goal is to attend medical  school to become a  family physician. I think that the analytical skills learned through Engineering will be extremely helpful for me going forward. In the program you learn how to learn, which is an important skill in any field!

When did you realize you wanted to work in STEM?

​My dad is also an Engineer, so I grew up watching the constant change in pace of his career and I found that exciting! Although medical school has always been a goal of mine, I knew I wanted an undergraduate degree that was rewarding and challenging. I’ve always enjoyed math and sciences so completing a degree in Engineering felt like the right fit! Plus I loved the idea of gaining work experience while in school since I learn best by doing something myself.

What were your favorite subjects in school?

In high school I loved math and science, but my favourite course was chemistry! I had an amazing teacher that was extremely engaging and made learning the course fun!
My love of chemistry lead me towards Process Engineering. Even during university chemistry-based courses continued to be a favourite of mine.

What advice would you give girls, who are still in school, who might be considering a career like yours?

Find what makes you excited and go for it! Nothing worth doing is easy but the reward will be greater than the struggle!
Also, no matter what path you choose, surround yourself with a strong support system. It’s so important to have someone to go to when you need to unwind. Having a place to take that time for yourself can really make the difference when studying gets tough!

Why do we need more women in skilled trades and STEM?

​We need more women in STEM and skilled trades so that it stops being unique to see a woman in these fields. Women in STEM and skilled trades are just as capable and qualified as men, but occasionally are looked at differently because they are a woman in that field. Although it’s getting a lot better there is still progress to be made. I think it’s important to normalize women working in STEM and skilled trades to show we are equal in the workforce!

Who was your role model? What about this person inspires you?

Growing up my role model was always my mom, she still is to this day! She was a young mom who worked so hard maintaining a work / life balance. With my dad working away for a portion of my childhood she spent a lot of time parenting two small girls alone and we grew up to be independent women!

She still inspires me because after all this time, with a few career changes, she still works full time both at her career and home. I know that even as adults she would take care of us if we needed it.

What do you do for fun? What are some of your hobbies/activities?

My idea of fun revolves around unwinding and relaxing! I love to read, the longer the novel the better! Staying active is very important to me, I love taking yoga or spin classes as well as walking my two dogs!

With some extra time on my hands at the moment I decided to pick up a new hobby. My mom is amazing at crocheting and she has recently taught me. I’m getting a head start on Christmas with some handmade presents!

What superhero do you relate to most? Why?

​This is a hard one because I am a huge superhero fan!! My favourite is probably Black Widow but the one I most relate to would have to be Hawkeye.
Black Widow is just amazing, she holds her own and has been the only consistent female superhero in the Avengers Movies. I relate to Hawkeye because he values his friendships and relationships with his family more than anything. Although he doesn’t have superpowers, he does everything he can to protect those he cares about most! It’s very humanizing in a superhero franchise.

Anything else you wish to share?

Work hard, be kind and stay true to yourself!

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