Meet Kiera Young

Kiera graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1998 from the University of Manitoba and completed a Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School in 2017. She currently works as the Vice President of Product Development for MacDon Industries. In her spare time, Kiera likes to maintain an active lifestyle. She is also a supporter of mentorship and has been a mentor both inside her workplace and as part of Engineers Geoscientists of Manitoba Committee for Increasing the Participation of Women in Engineering (CIPWIE).

When did your love of STEM begin?

I think my love of STEM has been with me since I was born. I always loved to learn and was fascinated by how things worked. Not so that I would take things apart and put them back together, but just wondering.....one of the very best things to continue to do through your whole life. I had, from a very early age thought, I would be a doctor, but in Grade 8 Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) came to my class and talked about Engineering......I never looked back.

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

I think the best thing about working in STEM is the ability to solve problems.....first working to understand what the problem is and then think of new and innovative ways to solve it. You get to do that on your own and with a team.

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

That it is awesome!! STEM is the foundation to how our world works, having individuals who critically assess and understand information and data enables nurturing and development of the next generation of problem solvers. Whether you end up in a technical based career or not, having problem solving skills will serve anyone well in both your personal and professional life.