As far back as she could recall, Cline, a Madison, Ohio native, wanted to be an engineer without even knowing what they did.
“I remember looking at my dad, who was an iron worker, and asking him, ‘What’s a job you can do to just solve problems and puzzles all the time?’ and he told me that was an engineer,” Cline said.
As she continued to excel throughout school, Cline narrowed her focus to two institutions to continue her academic journey: an engineering stalwart in The University of Akron and a then-engineering upstart in Mount Union. As her family encountered some financial struggles, her mom was working two jobs and thought the private university option might be out of reach.
“My mom didn’t even want to visit Mount,” Cline said, grinning. “Once I visited and appreciated the one-on-one interactions with faculty in the program, we sat down with financial aid and learned how affordable Mount could be, and the rest is history.”
Impactful Experiences
When asked about her favorite Mount Union memory, Cline, who was very involved throughout her undergraduate career in athletics and as a sister of Alpha Chi Omega, had the pensiveness of someone answering the “Final Jeopardy” question. In the end, she shared an experience that is actually a requirement of engineering majors.
“The global engineering trip to Belize was incredible,” she said, reflecting. “Getting to make those memories with my peers and having the chance to serve an underdeveloped community are things I’ve brought with me into my career today.”
The idea of service-learning made a profound impact on Cline, and as Commencement neared upon returning stateside, her future began to take shape before her eyes in a uniquely serendipitous way.
“My junior year at Mount, I was awarded an Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges scholarship provided by CESO, Inc.” she said. “When I went in to meet with the company to thank them, Dr. [Hans] Tritico pushed me to ask if they had any internship openings. They did, which then led to me being hired full-time at CESO before I even graduated.”
Making Her Mark
Cline is in her seventh year at CESO, and her impressive ascent has led her to be a lead project engineer after earning two promotions in that time. In this role, she leads a team of traffic engineers and works on designs and traffic patterns for major clients like Love’s Travel Stops, FedEx, and Sheetz.
In continuing to climb the CESO ranks, one of Cline’s core beliefs is finding purpose through serving others, clearly illustrated through her fond memories of the Belize trip and other Mount Union service-learning experiences. It is also one of the reasons she enjoys her career at CESO, which has annual “Impact Days” when offices close and employees volunteer at local nonprofits.
In having found a professional home at CESO, Cline became more comfortable in being the authentic leader she knew she had the potential to be. Along with being a female leader in her industry, Cline, who identifies as a lesbian, still had slight apprehension about fully opening up and coming out at work. Those worries were eased after being welcomed by her peers when she came out to them, continuing the success of a positive environment where she could thrive and lead.
“I was definitely nervous to share with my bosses that yeah, I’m gay, hoping it would not change anything,” Cline said. “But the amount of love and support I received after coming out to them has been incredible and one of the reasons I continue to love my job. The reputation I had built for myself and my work helped too, and it’s only gotten better as my career has advanced.”
Helping the Next Generation
Alongside the service done through CESO and her personal endeavors, Cline also volunteers her time as a mentor through a variety of outlets. Currently, she serves as a member of Mount Union’s Engineering Advisory Board, advises her high school alma mater’s all-female robotics team, and has been a mentor with the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program of Greater Akron-Canton for the past five years.
During her time with ACE, Cline has mentored dozens of high school students at three different schools. She has also created a pipeline between ACE and Mount Union’s Experience Engineering Summer Program so that interested high school students can get hands-on engineering opportunities before college. Regardless of project or interest, Cline is proud to be a resource for students.
“My advice to future engineering students is always to keep going. Even though it can be tough, if you are willing to do the work, the experience pays off,” Cline said. “I mean, I used to think the liberal arts classes we took were not useful, but now much of my job is writing reports and presenting them, which is both important and kind of funny looking back.”
Cline is simply one example of a woman leading with impact in a male-led industry, especially as the percentage of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields continues to climb. She and a growing group of innovators are ensuring the next generation is prepared to advance in their pursuit of inspiring change.