Meet Erika Mae Buela!

In today's blog, we present the wonderful Erika!

She is a Civil Engineering Student from the Ateneo de Naga University.

Pronouns: She/her/hers

From: Philippines

Fun fact: She was part of the team representing the Philippines during the ACI Fall 2021 Eco Concrete Competition and won 3rd place!

What motivated you to be a person in that field?

The person I am building for the future is both a dreamer and an advocate. As a dreamer, a great factor for it is my parents' inability to finish their education because of personal circumstances in the past. That is why taking this path is following where my heart belongs and, at the same time, fulfilling my parents' lost dreams.

On the other hand, as an advocate, I always wanted my future Engineer self to contribute to restoring our common home, the Earth, in the hope of making it more sustainable.

What have been the main challenges you have encountered throughout your career, And what did you learn from them?

I guess it's true to all that the very challenge in this industry, especially for women, is deeply rooted in the gender dynamic/role in society. I, for one, have experienced being subtly intimidated to be in the minority just because I belong to a male-dominated field. This led me to moments of questioning my abilities and my why-s for pursuing this career. Consequently, this situation worsened because of the pandemic that forced universities to suspend face-to-face classes, causing students like me to be deprived of the necessary skills that we would have learned through practical assessments and laboratory activities. Imagining the skill-based knowledge, I missed and the 2-year streak of online learning I'm enrolled in, I knew that there is still a wide gap that I need to fill in.

Because of this awareness of inequity for women, I learned that it is essential to proactively ensure that I earn my seat and my voice is heard in a roundtable full of men. I also have to emphasize that we often overlook the fact that the government we elect has immense liability for why women don't receive equal opportunities, hence, enabling these prejudices, and why our education system is highly impacted by their bad decisions and is dysfunctional at its worst due to their ignorance of real problems, unresponsive actions, and lack of support.

When has been a time that you felt empowered?

Rising above the pandemic, I was able to lead two engineering-related student organizations - one university-based and one at a national level. This experience taught me a lot in developing my personal and professional character and opened doors (and even windows!) of opportunities. Having a platform and a community truly empowered me.

Why are you a Girl in Civil?

I am a Girl in Civil because I continuously amplify the call that women don't just fit in, but women genuinely have a place in this industry. Breaking the stigma of "women are incapable of leading" means smashing a patriarchal society. I support #AbanteBabae (Let women lead!) in the Philippines!

What advice would you share with others?

When you want to reach for something, remember you're already there, the moment you imagine yourself journeying that path and walking past many obstacles. Don't let many tiny voices of discouragement defeat that one persevering big voice in you that you knew the universe awaits to hear. For all my girls in engineering, our hardhats are the crown they can never take away from us.