I am a Civil Engineer

Meet our East African Civil Engineers, Catherine Githuku is a lecturer at the Kenyatta University, Kenya and Agustina Alexander is a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

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Question: How would you describe yourself as a civil engineer?
Catherine: I am a lecturer in civil engineering. I enjoy training especially in the areas of structures(design of buildings, foundations and similar structures). I have also specialized in structures around water-ways(that is dams and intakes).

CAREER SKILLS: NETWORKING

Networking has become an important skill in the career and business fields. In its simplest form, networking is talking and connecting with people with the aim of developing relationships that will improve your chances of finding your dream job. If you don’t get put in the frame for a job directly as a result, then at least you are likely to discover prospects which you might explore further.

UNCOVER A MENTOR

Most people talk about mentors. I used to be envious of my friends who had mentors. It seemed like they were ahead of me in one way or the other because I knew the benefits of having one. I figured that because of my limited knowledge in getting a mentor, I would not be getting mentored in the near future. You’ve probably gone through the effective components of great mentorship relationship in the previous article (see here) and, like me a few years back, you are wondering “how do I get a mentor? Where do I find them?”

Essential Components for effective mentor-ship relationships

My journey to success has just begun. Maybe this journey began subconsciously, with the mind refusing to acknowledge its existence and yet, contributing to a percentage of my current success. I am a strong believer in having a life purpose and a dream. A big DREAM. Finding this purpose may be clear to many but is a daunting odyssey for me. Some days I wake up with a clear vision of my direction in life, and then other days, my sand castle crumbles before my eyes. Can you relate to occasional self-doubt? Do you sometimes wish you could stay in your comfort zone and still succeed in life? Who set standards for success anyway? What is success to you? This is why mentorship is important.

Call for Contributors

We are on a journey to share the experiences of the African Woman in STEM through features on this blog.

We look forward to having you as part of our team of female scientists and mentors!

Are you a female scientist or engineer from any part of the Africa and the world in general?

Are you interested in mentoring young people through your experiences?

We invite you to share your experience as a woman in STEM.

It is our hope that through this blog, more girls will be encouraged to join STEM fields and aspire to be leaders in their fields.

If you are interested, kindly email us at secretariat@aawse.org