Hannah W. Michaelson, PE

I attribute my success to genuinely loving what I do and having a clear vision from a young age. Back in middle school, I saw a real problem in my community with traffic and the political debates around building a bypass. Instead of just watching from the sidelines, I decided to dive in and research it myself, even designing my own bypass proposal for my science fair project. I didn't win, but I discovered something important: I really enjoyed all the research and design work. That early passion has stayed with me throughout my career. I could see myself doing this work even back then, and that sense of purpose has driven me ever since. It's not just a job for me; it's something I genuinely want to be part of, solving real transportation problems that affect people's daily lives.

The best career advice I've received, and the advice I now give to people starting at my firm, is that your first job is sort of like a relationship. You don't want to settle. It's okay to choose a different job. It's better to do what you really enjoy doing, not just something that pays the bills or something that you're just good at. You want to find something that you're actually passionate about, something you actually enjoy. If you're not happy with what you do during the day, it does make the day seem longer. I've learned that loving what you do really is a gift, and it's worth holding out for work that truly fulfills you rather than just accepting whatever comes along.

My advice to young women entering this industry is to put yourself out there and build relationships. Early in my career, I focused on learning the job but hesitated to socialize. A coworker reaching out changed everything and taught me not to assume people don’t want to connect. These connections make a real difference in both your career and daily work life.

Right now, my field is booming, with a wealth of projects and opportunities available. Personally, my biggest challenge is maintaining a healthy work-life balance—there are times when critical projects demand a lot of attention, yet it’s important to make time for life outside of work. Beyond that, broader economic uncertainties pose challenges that affect many industries. At the same time, the opportunities are abundant, with significant infrastructure work underway and numerous projects in the pipeline, making it an exciting time to be in this field.

The values most important to me are probably a mix between accountability and responsibility. I have pride in my work. I don't like submitting or putting out any projects that I know aren't done, or where the computations don't work. It's not just because reviewers will send it back telling us to try again, though there is that aspect since we have reviewers going over our projects. But even the stuff that they miss, it would bother me to put out work into the world that I know isn't correct. I'm a perfectionist, and while that can sometimes run up against deadlines and the pressure to get things done quickly, I want my work to be good. I haven't sealed any plans yet under my own stamp, but I will someday, and even now when it's not under my seal, if no one else finds out about mistakes, I still want it to be right. My name and my reputation matter to me, and I hold myself to high standards regardless of whether anyone is checking my work.