Enbridge's Career Pioneers series: Part 9, Amanda Kulhawy
Amanda Kulhawy, Engineer-in-Training, Edmonton
A celebration of achievement. A promise of untapped potential. An ongoing quest for equality.
International Women’s Day, fast approaching on March 8, is all of these things and more. “The evidence is clear: equality for women means progress for all,” says United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
In honor of UN International Women’s Day, we’re profiling women in the Enbridge workforce who’ve chosen to pursue non-traditional careers. Today's spotlight is on Amanda Kulhawy, an engineer-in-training based in Edmonton
Q: How did you end up working as a pipeline integrity engineer? What sort of journey brought you here?
When I was a kid I wanted to be a dancer, a doctor, an artist, a mom, an environmentalist, a chef, a teacher, but never an engineer. Throughout my education I realized how interested I was in how things work, how much I liked a challenge, and how badly I wanted to improve the world in some way. When I entered the workforce after university, the environmentalist in me wanted nothing to do with oil and gas, and I struggled finding something I was passionate about – until I was introduced to integrity science. At this point, things clicked. Rather than avoid the industry and its challenges, I joined it to try and make a difference in it.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you?
I am responsible for managing the safety of pipelines. I spend my days analyzing data, evaluating the condition of the pipelines, and developing mitigation plans to ensure their safety and operability. Each day is an adventure filled with new requests and new problems to be solved.
Q: What motivates you to get up in the morning?
Working to protect the environment and improve the oil and gas industry.
Q: What is one quote you live by?
The same one that I used in my high-school yearbook: “A person’s true wealth is the good he or she does in the world.” – The Prophet Mohammed
Q: Given the experience that you’ve accrued, what advice would you have for those young women following in your footsteps?
No matter what you decide to do, every experience will provide some value and, at the very least, teach you what you don’t want to do. If you find things aren’t working out, don’t be afraid to make a change. Just don’t change who you are to make things work out.
