Susan Gist-Miller

I attribute my success to my entire journey and the challenges I faced working in a very male-dominated field. I started working while in school, which was a requirement at that time, and I put myself through school by working full-time while going to school full-time. When a professor told me condescendingly that as a woman, I would have to be technically capable to be an architect, nothing got my juices more than that challenge. Throughout my career, I consistently proved myself technically while maintaining my artistic vision. I became a senior project architect for 23 years and made significant contributions to every project I worked on, including saving 20 to 30 million dollars on the Henry Ford Health Hospital project by reconfiguring HVAC systems. I faced various challenges being a woman architect, including discrimination, having a child, being paid significantly less than colleagues with less experience, and eventually being laid off after standing up against inappropriate behavior. Despite struggling to find work for two and a half years after being laid off, and facing retaliation for speaking up, I kept trying and never gave up. I would send that email again, even knowing the hard time that followed, because I had a daughter and wanted to stand up for what was right. Now I want to tell my story to help other young women coming up in the field, because I think it's important for them to know what has happened before them so these difficulties don't continue.

The best career advice I ever received is that you can build a successful and fulfilling career in a male-dominated field by combining resilience, skill, and confidence. Early on, I was reminded that challenges and doubts from others can be used as motivation to excel, rather than obstacles to hold you back. By focusing on developing my technical expertise, delivering high-quality work, and standing firm in my principles, I learned that perseverance and professionalism open doors, earn respect, and create lasting impact—proving that determination and talent transcend any barriers.

I think it's really important that women support other women and that we all share our stories so that we can empower each other. Young women need to know what has happened before them, the difficulties that women have had in male-dominated fields like architecture. These challenges need to be acknowledged, not only to women but to men as well, so that it doesn't continue to happen. I don't want the discrimination and challenges I faced to happen for my daughter or for other young women coming up in the field. Keep working hard and never give up, even when you face setbacks like being laid off or struggling to find work. Stand up for what's right, even when it's difficult, because it matters for the women who come after you.

Now that I've been retired for over a year, I'm looking for new opportunities to be my own boss and use my gifted talented abilities to create what I envision. I'm taking a glassblowing class and want to get back into doing things that are artistic. I've got ideas for light fixtures, for floor lamps and wall sconces. I've seen a lot of the designs in the higher end work, and I think I can do better than that. I'm also trying to downsize from two houses to one, and before I volunteer for other causes, I want to focus on getting my house in Dunstable to a point where we can downsize. I'm interested in working independently and using my talents in new ways.

Being able to work hard has always been important to me, and I've proven that throughout my career by working full-time while going to school full-time, building two houses while raising my daughter, and consistently making meaningful contributions to every project I worked on. Standing up for what's right matters to me, even when it comes at a personal cost. When I saw inappropriate behavior in the workplace, I spoke up, even though it led to me being laid off. I would do it again because I have a daughter, and I want to make things better for the women who come after me. Family is more important than career - I chose to work closer to home so I could raise my daughter, because she means more than any career. Now that I'm retired, I'm taking classes for glassblowing and eagerly awaiting my next project. I'm also focused on not leaving my daughter with tons of stuff to go through, following the concept of 'death cleaning' so I can be responsible to her. Supporting other women and sharing our stories to empower each other is really important to me.