A New Adventure

May 29, 2015 10:23 am Published by Amy MacTaggart 1 Comment

Hello Friends,

First off, I would like to say how grateful I am towards Weyerhaeuser and The GreenestWorkforce for giving me the opportunity to share my summer with you working in the forest products industry and living in Grande Prairie. This is my first time writing a blog, so to start off with I should introduce myself. My name is Amy and I am a chemical engineering student with Weyerhaeuser in Grande Prairie. Originally from a small hobby farm outside of Lacombe, I have a deep love of nature and appreciation for the land. I admit that I do not know much about the forest products industry but so far I have witnessed a diverse, innovative industry that is focused on long term sustainability and social investment in their local communities. One of the things I am most looking forward to during my time at Weyerhaeuser is exploring the role of engineers in the forest products industry. Chemical engineering is a broad field and it can be overwhelming to explore all the possibilities that are out there. I am very eager to discover the different options over the course of my term with Weyerhaeuser.

In the past two weeks I have been busy learning and orienting myself with the Weyerhaeuser site. There is certainly a lot to learn! Everyday has brought new challenges and opportunities. My first week was spent learning how to be safe on the worksite to protect myself and others around me. I was very impressed with the strong safety culture here at Weyerhaeuser. It was a relief to find that my many questions were not only answered but encouraged. There exists a strong belief in asking for help if one is unsure about a specific area or uncomfortable performing a task independently. This has truly made it a welcoming place to learn and grow as a co-op student. In my role I am given a lot of independence and responsibility to manage projects in a way that works best for me. I have also been encouraged to find and develop other projects that I find interesting which have the potential to improve process efficiencies. Already I have a list of projects that are both engaging and challenging!

The Weyerhaeuser facility in Grande Prairie

One of the benefits of being a co-op student is getting to explore how different industries fit with your own personal values. Over the past week I have discovered that many of the engineers on site are heavily involved in volunteering. This aligns strongly with my own belief in socially conscious engineers who are actively engaged in their communities. One activity that I will be volunteering for is a science night at a local elementary school. The purpose is to raise awareness of careers in engineering and geosciences by showing youth that science can be fun and cool! I am very excited to go out and start making connections in my new home with my peers and other members of my community.

I am looking forward to sharing my new adventure with you all.

So long for now,

Amy MacTaggart