Behind the career: Environmental Engineering

Being an environmental engineer  - Sidney

Sidney

Construction Services Manager at Allnorth Consultants Limited 

For Sidney, choosing to pursue environmental engineering was an easy choice. 

“I always knew I wanted to do environmental [engineering] because I loved being outside and I loved the outdoors,” Sidney states when asked how she chose her specialization. A lover of the great outdoors, it only made sense that UBC and UNBC’s unique joint program for the major was the perfect fit for someone like Sidney. As a student in the environmental engineering program, she was able to earn Bachelor of Applied Science degrees from both UNBC and UBC in less than 5 years. 

“I loved being able to do both UNBC and UBC because they are such different experiences” the Vancouver native explains. “When I first moved to UNBC I didn’t know anyone. However, I was able to make friends really easy, being on the UNBC soccer team and because of UNBC’s small-town feel. 

Since then, Sidney has graduated from the degree and joined the industry as an EIT, working out in the field before transitioning into consulting as a project manager. Sidney’s most recent responsibility within her role at Allnorth includes managing the quality control during province-wide transportation projects! The support she received at her company really allowed her to transition into her dream path of engineer consulting. After less than 2 years as an ELT, Sidney was put in a management position. “I was nervous — I didn’t think I could do it because I was just a recent grad fresh out of school." However, her company encouraged her to take on a management role at a young age, reminding her that her young age does not define her level of qualification. 

Overall, Sidney’s story acts as a reminder to never doubt yourself. Whether it is moving to a new city for your first year of university, to getting a promotion, her career journey shows that with the right support group, anything is possible! 

UBC environmental engineering students taking a reading in an urban creek.

Environmental Engineering

As one of the most beautiful places anywhere, British Columbia is an ideal location to pursue an Environmental Engineering degree. UBC offers two Environmental Engineering Programs...

Environmental Engineering
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