Meet Gabrielle Bouchard

Gabrielle Bouchard earned a Bachelor of Engineering, Civil, from McMaster University in 2013. She currently works as a Project Manager, Senior Consultant, Engineer-in-Training at Jacobs. In her spare time, Gabrielle likes to create Youtube videos, volunteer and learn about changing the world through civic action.

When did your love of STEM begin?:

I always loved nature, especially animals and space. I loved catching frogs and staring at the stars and wondering how far the universe went (I still do sometimes)! For as long as I remember I have been curious about the way the world worked.

What is the best part about working in the field of STEM?

There is a lot of flexibility in the type of work you can get involved in. Even though I am a civil engineer by training, I have worked in transit, business, software, education, and many other areas. You will never get bored working in STEM. It also generally pays well, is a well-respected field, and offers steady work.

What advice would you give young women interested in a career in STEM?

In today's world you need to have adaptable skills to be successful. A career in STEM, especially engineering, will teach you problem solving skills. The world will always need good problem-solvers. The best part is you can choose what problems are important to you and go out and solve them! If you are thinking of a career in STEM I would say go for it. Make sure you take high school math and physics so you keep all of your options open. But don't let anyone pressure you into going into STEM. If you have strong interests outside of STEM I think you should follow your heart.