Evie Wallace - NAWIC Excellence Awards Spotlight #6

After our annual excellence awards in May 2021, we asked all of our award winners if they would like to share more of their story, to inspire and encourage others in their own journeys, and to perhaps enter the 2022 awards. A few were keen to do so. One of the ones shared was from;

Evie Wallace
Process engineer
Beca

Winner of the Rising star award - Office based

We asked Evie to answer a few questions about her journey so far, here are her answers.

What inspired you to get into construction?

First it was an interest in chemistry and maths at high school - which led to a chemical & process engineering degree. Once I got into the water industry however, there hasn't been much theoretical chemistry like at high school. It's been about designing to build and upgrade our water infrastructure - much more construction focused than I would have thought 5 or so years ago. Not that that's a bad thing though!!

What are you most passionate about in the industry? or what drives you to be involved?

I'm passionate about the environment - that our projects to treat wastewater are there to improve and enhance it. Also about the people - that our projects to treat drinking water are there to supply communities with reliable and clean water. I'm passionate about being connected to the water around us as well, and about creating a sustainable relationship with the way we use and treat it.

What would you like to see for the future of women in construction?

That women have an equal place designing, managing, building and operating our infrastructure. The future is a construction industry where women are not in a large minority, and where we continue to support and grow women into a range of roles and careers.

Words of wisdom or tips for women at the start of or considering a career in construction

• Talk to people! A range of them too. Graduates, seniors, managers, women & men. And use those people for advice, for help with applying for jobs, for recommendations of tertiary study or apprenticeships.
• If you're offered an opportunity to work in a construction related role, go for it. Even if you've never had any experience in that industry before, you might be surprised at how much you like it! And nothing is forever - you can always change if it's not for you.
• Don't be afraid to change the scope of your role, to bring your passions into the work that you do, or to push to get involved in specific areas or projects that you are interested in. Work is definitely not just about following your basic role description, and people will often thank you for challenging norms and bringing new ideas into your work!!

What is your favourite thing to do for fun?

Getting outside - biking, tramping or running in our incredible backyard!

What has winning this award meant to you?

I feel really privileged to have had the chance to be recognised - and it's meant I have been thinking more lately about the women around me in the construction industry and all the incredible things they are also doing. It has made me want to share and hear more stories of women - both the challenges and the successes that have followed! It's also just been a reminder to me to keep engaging in stuff outside of my "daily job" - working to support younger women to get into engineering & construction, and continuing to bring sustainability into the work in the water industry that I do.

To read other inspiring stories please visit our news page here

To keep in touch about the awards in 2022 check our awards page here