There appears to be a growing trend of women and minorities pursuing careers in STEM, but there is still a long way to go. Only 17 percent of civil engineers in the US are women, while minorities make up approximately 31 percent of civil engineers nationwide. And while many women and minorities may obtain a degree in STEM subjects, the likelihood of them staying within that field is far from certain. Today we are joined by Ally, a licensed construction engineer in Colorado, working in the road and bridge sector. You may know Ally from her videos on TikTok and Instagram, where she has grown an impressive social media following as she advocates for change in the industry one post at a time. Tuning in you’ll hear Ally share her experiences of working in construction as a woman, the important role that mentorship has played in her career, and the changes she’d like to see in the industry. We also discuss how she navigated her first pregnancy, including sexist assumptions in the workplace, and striving for work-life balance. We deeply admire the advocacy work that Ally is doing for women in engineering and construction, and can’t wait to share today’s conversation with you!
Sn. 4, #14 Ally: Not Your Average Engineer
Emily Soloby
Emily received her BA in Women’s Studies and JD from Temple University. Early on, she worked as a legal advocate for women in domestic violence cases. After practicing law, Emily began working on the business side of things. She is the co-owner of AAA School of Trucking, a truck and heavy equipment safety training firm, which she has spent the last 10 years growing into a thriving national business through government and military contracting and corporate partnerships.
As an executive in the transportation industry, darting from client meeting to trucking range required safety boots that met her style standards, and when she couldn’t find them anywhere, she created Juno Jones Shoes. Emily trained in shoemaking in Cuernavaca, Mexico and at the Brooklyn Shoe Space, and assembled a powerhouse team of designers, consultants, and industry experts to bring Juno Jones to life. Through Juno Jones Shoes, Emily is fulfilling her dream of not only providing women with safe, stylish footwear options for their jobs but of helping to normalize and empower women in traditionally male-dominated fields.
For more information go to junojonesshoes.com.
Ally
Ally aka NotYourAverageEngineer on social media, is a licensed construction engineer in Colorado, working in the road and bridge sector. Who within a year of graduating from University, impulsively moved out to Colorado with her now husband, leaving behind everything she once knew and starting fresh. Back during university, she worked as a lab assistant and an intern which involved over three years of field work and design. When it came time to decide on a full time career path to pursue, she decided on trying construction for a few years to make herself a better designer. But nearly a decade later and she is still in construction, with no plans to switch over to design work. She is passionate about advocacy for women and minorities in construction. She also loves teaching anyone who will listen about the industry. Outside of work, she enjoys skiing, rock climbing and chasing her toddler around.
