By Fatima Magana '22

ALLIANCE- With March being Women’s History Month, Mount Union wants to celebrate the exceptional female role models that are part of the campus community. Focusing on women in the STEM fields, the University would like to celebrate the accomplishments of female students wanting to make a difference.

Haley Jones ’24, civil engineering major, knew from a young age that she loved hands-on projects, making it easy choosing a career path. Engineering allows her to be creative while implementing problem-solving skills.

“As a little girl I would help my grandpa with auto problems in the garage, while repairing a car is mechanical [engineering], this experience taught me that I was not meant to sit at a desk for long periods of time,” said Jones.

Being one of two female students in the civil engineering major, Jones loved how in-depth the program is because she can apply in-class concepts to real-life situations. Starting her collegiate career as a business major, Jones later transitioned to an engineering major where she discovered a passion for transportation and construction, leading her to be an intern at the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Jones '24 (Right) and a friend at a construction site

“People always say that engineering is a difficult field and while I was afraid that was true, once I began my career as an engineer, I loved everything I learned in and outside the classroom setting,” said Jones. “The summer between my junior and senior year I took the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam and passed it; my professors said that I was the first person to take it before senior year and pass it on the first attempt,” explained Jones.

To become a professional, licensed engineer, students must take two exams upon graduating from college. The Fundamentals of Engineering Exam or "FE" Exam is the first one which allows students to get a deeper understanding of the field while improving their hands-on skills in the real world. This certification allowed Jones to continue building her career at Ohio Department of Transportation’s district 4, serving the Ashtabula, Mahoning, Portage, Stark, Summit, and Trumbull counties.

“Upon graduating from Mount Union, I envision myself starting my engineering career, designing and planning different projects to go out and build them, but five years into my career, I’d like to already be a licensed professional engineer,” said Jones. “I aspire to become a level three engineer at ODOT, supervising big projects.”

Looking back at her journey in the School of Engineering, Jones advises young girls wishing to go into a STEM field to stay focused on their end goal and work hard towards it because once they receive their diploma and begin building their career, their vision will begin to come to life.

Jones '24 (Second from the left) and colleagues at work

Haley is just one of many female students in a STEM-related field at Mount Union and we are proud of all her dedication towards her future.