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Kelly Nicole Archer
Design Engineer, Sherwood Design Engineers
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Being someone in STEM is a powerful position in our society. Use it for good.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Environmental, water resource, and civil engineer. I design wastewater treatment systems, creek restoration projects, trail projects, and more.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS FIELD?
I loved math in grade school through high school and went to college thinking I would consider studying it. This was during the California drought, so I became passionate about environmentalism and social justice. I found environmental engineering and thought it was a perfect combination of science/math while improving the environment and people's quality of life (e.g., securing clean drinking water to disadvantaged communities).
WHAT DO YOU LOOK AT & THINK, "I WISH YOUNGER ME WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS WAS POSSIBLE?"
Knowing that I can provide for myself (and my parents at times) while having a job I love is something I'm incredibly grateful for. I might not have known that was possible when I was younger.
WHY DO YOU LOVE WORKING IN STEM?
I love working in STEM because I am given the ability to design systems and infrastructure other people depend on.
BEST ADVICE FOR NEXT GENERATION?
Being someone in STEM is a powerful position in our society. Use it for good - make sure you are thinking critically about what you end up working towards and that it aligns with your values .
INSPO / FUN FACT
"When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets fo racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered" - Martin Luther King, Jr.