ISL Young Professionals – Joanna Pieczka

Welcome to ISL’s Young Professionals! We feature ISLers who are taking the engineering world by storm. Get to know what led them to a career in engineering, what their day-to-day looks like and what they think sets ISL apart.

Meet Joanna Pieczka, a Structual Engineer-in-Training based in our Calgary office. Joanna has been with ISL for 2 years. 

Joanna Pieczka

Joanna Pieczka

Structural E.I.T., Calgary

What is your role at ISL?

Structural Engineer in Training for the Structural group in the Calgary office.

What big project are you working on right now (or have you recently completed)?

One of the biggest projects I am working on for most of the year is the Macleod Trail and 78 Avenue bridge rehabilitation. There are two bridges located on Macleod Trail, running over the LRT/CPR and​ 78 Avenue S.E./S.W.

When and why did you decide you wanted to be an engineer?

As a young person it is very hard to decide what you would like to do in the future. However, I always had passion for math. They say, “if you love what you are doing at work you will never be working”, so I decided to follow my math skills and become an Engineer.

What was the path you took to get to where you are today? (school, volunteering, work experience/co-ops, networking, ect.)

To become an Engineer, I had to obtain a Master’s Degree from Gdansk University in Poland. Then I decided to move to Canada, and I had to apply to APEGA and pass the Fundamental of Engineering exam.

What’s your favourite thing about what you do?

I really love my job, the greatest thing is that I can work on different projects and learn different things each day from great people that we have at ISL.

What does a typical day at ISL look like for you? (coffee, inspections, site visits, phone calls, team meetings, design, emails, ect.)

My typical day… hmmm coffee first and then work.

Every day is different, it depends on the season. During construction season, I go to site to complete inspections, write reports, review project specs and requirements etc. During winter season, most of the time I am working from the office on different projects that require design work and planning coordination.

What are some of your favourite ISL experiences? (Cool projects, social events/charitable initiatives, daily office life, ect.)

My most favorite experience was the 4-day Seminar Event. This event is hosted once a year at a big hotel and holds schedules for each day with delicious food, knowledgeable seminars, and live entertainment.

You have all the ISL offices meet in Alberta in one big conference hall, and you get to meet and greet people you work with everyday.

Where do you hope to be in 10 years?

In 10 years, I would like to become a Professional Engineer.

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