Maria Brown

I would have to say that would be my parents. Both of them were very hard workers, and they always instilled in us girls that you always give your best no matter what and work as hard as you can. They taught me the value of hard work and dedication, and those lessons have stayed with me throughout my entire career.

Never take anything personal. Everything will always help you grow. Another big one that a gentleman gave to me years ago was to never treat anyone in a way that you wouldn't allow yourself to be treated. These two pieces of advice have really shaped how I approach my work and how I interact with others in my career.

I primarily work with nothing but men, and it's very few engineer women that are out there, so I would tell women to do what you want, no matter what. Just go for it. Don't worry about if it's a man's field or a woman's field. If that's what you want to do, do it. When I first came in, the men were very skeptical, but now that I'm working with them, I hear nothing but positive things, and they're so glad that I am the construction manager that they go to.

I would say the biggest challenge is just being a woman in a man's field. But the opportunity of it is to show them that women can work just as hard as men can and achieve just as much as a man can achieve. It's about proving that women can do it just as well as men can, if not better.

I would definitely have to say always tell the truth, no matter what. Communication is a big thing. Family is a big thing. Just always do the right thing is a big thing for me. Just tell the truth. These values guide everything I do, both in my professional life and in my personal relationships.