Meet Christimarie Falucho!
In today’s blog, we present the incredible Christimarie!
She's a Civil Engineer Officer working for the Air Force.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
From: Alaska
What motivated you to be a person in that field?
I was motivated to become an Air Force civil engineer during high school when I saw Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines on TV. Being a Filipino American, it touched my heart that there is a group out there that can rebuild infrastructure for those in need. I also realized I was very much in love with the STEM field and enjoyed team projects.
What have been the main challenges you have encountered throughout your career, And what did you learn from them?
I think the main challenge throughout my career so far is burnout. I am a perfectionist and a people pleaser, but I always have to remind myself that I'm only human and that there is so much I can control. Being in the military also has challenges because I have to be away from family, but I learned how to fill up my cup of happiness. There's happiness within our little families, but I learned that small things in life can bring us happiness as well, like working out, doing skincare routines, watching our favorite movies, and doing all the things we love.
When has been a time that you felt empowered?
I felt empowered during my senior year of college. Before being commissioned to become an Air Force officer, I struggled with learning from home during COVID and being physically active since I was always inside. I had a senior project and a physical fitness test that were the deciding factors for me to commit. I realized that if I wanted to become a Civil Engineer Officer, I needed to try my best in everything I did, even when I didn't feel like doing it. After going through study plans, finals, doing workouts, and running, I finally made it through and graduated. I would say that that moment made me realize that I could do anything that I wanted to if I put my mind to it with confidence.
Why are you a Girl in Civil?
I am a Girl in Civil because I love the discipline's broadness! You know the different aspects of infrastructure, and the people in our career field are amazingly smart and care about other people's careers (for example: helping to study for PMP, FE, and PE).
What advice would you share with others?
If you ever feel burnt out with something, do a mental check of what the progress you're doing for your goal. If you realize that 1/3 of the time you're feeling good, 1/3 of the time you're feeling okay, and 1/3 of the time you feel crappy, then you're doing it right. But if you feel like one category is more than the other, change up your routine or goal!
