News

By Emma Geldart

As a female in civil engineering, Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture student Shannon O’Connor is shatterring the glass ceiling.

Pursuing a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), a sector that has typically been dominated by males, Shannon is soaring above and beyond even her own expectations. With an impressive resume filled with numerous volunteer hours, Shannon is also the recipient of a major scholarship to help fund her post-secondary education. And although she’s set to graduate this May, Shannon is just getting started.

"Through pursuing a career in STEM I hope to encourage girls who may be experiencing uncertainty with their future career path and help them to realize that it is achievable and to have confidence in their abilities," Shannon explains.  

Not only is Shannon excelling in a typically male-dominated field, she was one of eight recipients of the Pengrowth-Nova Scotia Energy Scholarship offered through Pengrowth Energy Corporation and Nova Scotia’s Department of Energy. Each year, 16 university students entering energy-related programs are selected to receive funding to assist with their university costs. Eight students are awarded $10,000 scholarships ($2,500 each year, renewable over four years) and eight are offered $2,500 (non-renewable) scholarships. In her final year of high school in 2016, Shannon was one of those to receive a scholarship valued at $10,000.

“The Pengrowth Scholarship helped me to achieve my post-secondary goals,” Shannon says. “I think it’s important to find purpose in your life. I wanted to pursue a career in engineering so that I would be able to make a difference. I’ve always been interested in environmental work and civil engineering provided a pathway to do this.”

Shannon pursued civil engineering because of her true passion- environmental sustainability. Civil engineering is a discipline of engineering that deals with the design, construction and maintenance of both the physically and naturally built environment. This includes works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, pipelines, railways and much more. Shannon has set her sights on waste management and water sustainability.

“I wanted to pursue a career where I would be able to make a positive impact on the environment,” Shannon explains. “My ultimate goal is to increase sustainability and create better waste management as well as implement policies to use water resources effectively.”

Set to graduate this May with a Diploma in Engineering, Shannon will continue her education at Dalhousie University in Halifax, where she will work towards earning a degree in engineering.

“My favorite part of studying at the Faculty of Agriculture is how close I am with my peers and my professors,” Shannon says. “There is also a great support network of people who want you to succeed with your studies and to have opportunities outside of the classroom. Growing up in the Truro area made the transition to the Agricultural Campus smooth and allowed me to maintain relationships with various organizations that I volunteer with.”

Shannon’s resume of volunteer work and extracurricular activities is nothing short of incredible. During her studies Shannon has managed to get involved in both on and off campus organizations and activities. One of her most notable accomplishments this year was being a member of Dal AC’s engineering team competing in the Canadian Engineering Competition (CEC) in Toronto. The CEC is an annual competition that brings together 150 of the most innovative and creative engineering undergraduate students from across the nation to compete against each other in design, consulting, presentation and debate. Shannon and her three teammates brought home the top prize at the national competition for the second year in a row.

While involved in a number of initiatives, Shannon also developed the Environmental Club at Dal AC during her first year of study. The aim of the Environmental Club is to spread environmental awareness on campus and help to change culture on campus concerning energy and waste. Shannon explains she also wanted to implement hands-on projects where students could engage in making a difference.

As a result of her extensive volunteer work, Shannon recently received a SAIL (Student Advancement in Leadership) certificate in Student Success, a certificate presented to students with over 25 hours of volunteer work on campus and over 25 hours of volunteer work off campus. Shannon explains that, to her, getting involved on campus in incredibly important.

“I am a firm believer that it is vital for a student to be involved in more than just academics at a university in order to grow as a person and develop skills outside the classroom,” Shannon explains. “Being involved in activities on campus has allowed me to gain unique opportunities, network with students and staff and become a more rounded person.”

Since setting her sights on civil engineering, Shannon has dominated in her field. As she prepares to make the move to Dal’s Halifax campus to continue her studies, she continues to be fueled by her passion for the environment and making a difference in the world.