Her Story
About Sharan
Sharan Kaur serves as Principal Project Manager at Amtrak, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In this role, she manages schedules, costs, field progress, and a team of more than 200 people on a half-billion-dollar facility construction project at Pencoach Yard. She also leads the NEPA environmental approval process for multiple locations, traveling to sites including Washington DC, Seattle, Boston, and New York. Prior to her current position, Kaur worked for more than 10 years as a signal engineer at Metro North, where she designed signals for the New York City Railroad. She earned her Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Stony Brook University before having children and later completed her MBA from Rutgers during the COVID period while working. Kaur has served as a women's ambassador at Metro North and as an ambassador for Amtrak. She attributes her success to her mentor and manager Taft in George, who trusted and pushed her, as well as her father, who emphasized the value of education and hard work. Outside of work, she enjoys playing tennis with her children and painting, and she supports children's education initiatives in India.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sharan
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my mentor, my manager Taft in George. He was the one who pushed me, and what I'm doing, because of him, he trusted me. He knows that I can do it. Also my dad who always said work hard because anybody can take anything from you but they can't take education from you.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
From my dad: work hard. Because anybody can take anything from you, like your money, your lifestyle, anything, but they can't take education from you. So if you have education you can do whatever you want in your life.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Work hard. Don't sit there waiting for promotion. If you know your worth, go and ask for it. There are so many opportunities, grow yourself, get certifications, make yourself different from others, make yourself a value.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Be honest. If you're saying you want to give 100%, give your 200%. Try to do as much as you can during your shift because if somebody's paying you, you're producing something. Help whoever needs help. Hard work.
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