McKenzie Clark is a mechanical engineer for the Oceaneering Technologies (OTECH) group headquartered in Maryland. As a creative person, McKenzie finds it most rewarding when she can bring a system or part in her mind to fruition with design, analysis, and manufacturing.
“[Engineering] requires a lot of work, but there is a reward in the end,” she said. “Whether you succeed or you fail, you learn something, and it only makes you better.”
McKenzie was drawn to a career in engineering in high school. Her ‘Intro to Engineering’ teacher took an interest in her and recommended that she take an advanced engineering class.
From those classes she was able to apply practical knowledge in exciting ways.
“We designed and built an electric vehicle from scratch to race in competitions,” she said. “We actually placed third in a regional competition and traveled to California to compete in the national competition where we placed first.”
“I realized that engineering was exciting, challenging, and equally rewarding.”
When McKenzie was younger, her biggest challenge was getting involved in engineering-related activities at school.
“In middle school, I wanted to join the VEX robotics team, but I was too afraid because I would have been the only girl and I had no experience,” she said. “This all changed in college where I was surrounded by more women engineering students and was more confident in my own abilities as an aspiring engineer. I joined more clubs, including the VEX U team and the Society of Women Engineers.”
She credits her coworkers at Oceaneering for encouraging her and making her feel like one of the team.
“I have the same opportunities and responsibilities as everyone else. The guys know I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty.”
McKenzie said that the next generation of female engineers should go for it.
“The world is cheering you on as the demand for women in engineering is increasing,” she said. “There are so many opportunities out there.”
She added that even little girls should know that engineering is a career option.
“When my younger cousins found out I was an engineer, they were unamused and asked if I operated a train,” she said. “After getting them fun robotics Lego sets, their minds changed.
“Our interests and aspirations start young; little girls should know engineering is an option for them.”
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