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As Claudia Woodward (Class of ’19) prepares to cross the convocation stage on May 10, she is confident in her choice to pursue environmental engineering at Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture (Dal AC). For Claudia, environmental engineering was the perfect fit.

“I have loved my experience here and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she smiles. “You will never find a better or more caring school. Everyone here is rooting for your success and they have your back.”

Growing up in Seattle, Washington, USA, Claudia didn’t let her little farming experience deter her from attending Dalhousie’s Agricultural Campus.

“I did not grow up on or near a farm or have any farming experience,” Claudia smiles. “I grew up in the city and am actually allergic to most plants and animals.”

It was actually her plan to pursue marine biology that led Claudia to Dal AC. When she was younger, she was determined to be a marine biologist. She stumbled upon Dal AC’s reputation in marine biology and set her sights on the campus. It was late in high school that she was introduced to environmental engineering. She was instantly hooked.

“When I was in the tenth grade, I had an amazing teacher for AP Environmental Science and decided to take an environmental engineering course offered by that teacher,” Claudia explains. “I loved it. I decided then that I was going to go into environmental engineering and luckily Dalhousie still offered that degree.”

Environmental engineering applies engineering principles to the environment to help protect human health, protect nature's beneficial ecosystems, and improve environmental-related enhancement of the quality of human life. Environmental engineering identifies issues to improve things like recycling, waste disposal, public health, water control and pollution, and much more. For Claudia, it’s a way to help other people, something that has always been very important to her.

“I love learning new ways that can be implemented in ways that can help other people,” she explains. “Being an engineer to me is being able to help make life easier for others and making it easier for people to help others through engineering.”

Helping others comes naturally to Claudia. So it was no surprise when she signed up to be a Resident Assistant (RA) this past year at Dal AC. As an RA, Claudia was responsible for the safety and care of the students who lived in Chapman House. She made sure students obeyed quiet hours, celebrated and drank alcohol responsibly, and just generally cared for their well-being. She was a friend and confidante when needed. She made sure students managed their stress levels and maintained their mental health.

“Being an RA has brought me closer to the school and my residence house,” Claudia says. “It can be stressful, but it is a rewarding experience for me and I love that I have had this opportunity. Living in residence has allowed me to make friends in other programs as well as get to know everyone better. I will also be an RA in Halifax next year for Gerard House.”

Claudia is wrapping up her second year in the engineering diploma program at Dal AC. She then plans to continue he studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax. After completion of the two-year diploma program at Dal AC, engineering students have the option to complete an additional two to three years of studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax to earn a Bachelor of Engineering degree. The three year option presents students with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience through three co-op work terms.

“I plan on finishing my degree and then continuing to get my Master’s and Doctorate,” Claudia explains. “I hope to eventually work in waste water research engineering. I am very excited for the new opportunities I will get in Halifax but I am going to miss my AC family!”

As Claudia prepares to embark on her next adventure, she encourages those who are interested in engineering to pursue it without hesitation. She certainly did not expect to be so passionate about engineering, but she is glad she followed her heart and found exactly where she belongs.

“I didn’t think I was meant to go into engineering because I didn’t love math and was only okay at science, but if you are passionate about something and are willing to put in the work you can do whatever you want,” Claudia explains. “You don’t have to be amazing at math and science to be an engineer, you just need to work hard and give it your all like in any degree.”