My lack of aptitude in drafting came as a shock, which was softened by the discovery that there was interesting and exciting work going on around me. Although it was not clear just exactly what it was engineers did, it was obvious that they were where the action was. I left work that day and submitted my application to the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta - much to the delight of my parents.

I remember how frightening the first days of University were. Here is a world in which your identity consists of a number. Classes of 150 students are taught by professors who do not care if you haven't studied for a final or that your course load is too heavy. And they definitely do not have time to encourage your efforts. This is a world where you have to make it on your own and where the fear of failure is strong for every student. For those women entering engineering, it is in the first year that they decide whether they can compete in a male dominated faculty.

Many get discouraged, lose faith in their own abilities and feel that it is impossible to continue. They were the casualties. I was lucky, I had the support of friends and family. I remember my father's encouragement and comfort after a grueling day, when he told me that whether I could calculate the volume of a sphere was not as important as whether I could succeed in acquiring the degree. He was right.

Initially it was difficult being one of the few women in engineering, mostly because I had never been taught to compete in a male way. The first and most basic lesson for me was how to be a team player. No, I did not always have to agree on how the game was being played, but by being a team member I benefited from the support of those people who worked with me. Once this become clear, it was very easy to continue in engineering. Teams of students formed study groups provide support and to ensure that no one fell behind in their courses. Those women who did not join such groups fought an uphill battle on their own.

I now work as a Senior Engineer for a medium sized oil and gas Company in Calgary, where my job is nothing like I had imagined it would be. Here I oversee projects from initiation to completion, acting as a project manager, coordinator, negotiator and inventor. The knowledge developed through my engineering training has created opportunities to advance in several different directions. Yet the biggest question that still remains for most women is whether or not they can successfully compete in this male dominated field.

Success is a relative term. To some people I am successful but for me success is achieving that next promotion. Some days it seems that women will never be accepted by the male infrastructure, especially within upper management. There are a very few women who are Vice Presidents of major corporations, but there are also several established petroleum clubs which have yet to accept female members. Many attitudes have changed during the time I have been working and will, I hope, continue to change as long an increasing number of women can be encouraged enter the field.

Discouraging days still materialize when it seems impossible to ever succeed, but then I remember that this is the best thing that ever happened to me. Every day is a challenge and there is no room for complacency or boredom. More and more women should be drawn by the opportunities in engineering, but we must insist that women have a place and can excel in the profession. For me this is the best that life has to offer and I know that the freedom to choose this career has come from education.

Kim Mikkelsen received her B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Alberta in 1984 and is currently a Senior Area Engineer with North Canadian Oils Limited in Calgary.