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Reese McMillan
Head of Risk Assessment, G2S Consulting
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If you have that passion it is worth any amount of classes, work and years to have a job that gives you that passion every day.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I work in environmental engineering on human and ecological risk assessments.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS FIELD?
I have always loved science and always knew I wanted something that used that side of my brain. I also always knew I wanted a job where nine days out of ten I wanted to go to work and I was willing to spend as much time in school as necessary to get that life. My degrees were in ecology however the jobs weren't there. I then went and did a post-grad in environmental engineering to try and help find a job. This is where I first heard and fell in love with risk assessments- it sort of brought together everything I loved about science, biology, chemistry and ecology while still having a practical career path. I love the math and I love the problem solving required. How do I approach this? How can I make the numbers work? I also love feeling that my work is contributing to society. I can drive through Toronto and see buildings that I helped build. My role is to ensure that new developments keep happening but in a way that is safe to the people living and work there as well as the plants and animals.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK AT & THINK, "I WISH YOUNGER ME WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS WAS POSSIBLE?"
When I got my first risk assessment accepted by the Ministry of Environment. I don't think I ever expected to reach the point in my career to be a lead on a risk assessment, nevermind head of the department. I wish I had set my sights on that goal much earlier.
WHY DO YOU LOVE WORKING IN STEM?
Using my brain! Problem solving! I love when I hit that flow of looking at the numbers on a project and try and figure out all the data gaps. I also have a policy to sleep on any big problem so when I wake up and am confident with the path I will take on a problem it feels really good.
BEST ADVICE FOR NEXT GENERATION?
That feeling you get when you solve a math problem or understand a new concept can be what you feel every day. If you have that passion it is worth any amount of classes, work and years to have a job that gives you that passion every day.
INSPO / FUN FACT
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent- Eleanor Roosevelt