Martina Bona

About me

I was born/grew up in: Calgary, Alberta

I now live in: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

I completed my training/education at: I completed a Civil Engineering program at the Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary

What I do at work

I am an Engineer in Training, working at Jacobs Engineering.  I work with a multi-disciplinary design team. We come up with solutions to solve our clients’ problems. We also help them make sure they are following regulations. This means that even though I have a background in civil engineering, I am also involved in other types of engineering. For example, I am becoming familiar with mechanical, electrical, structural, architectural, as well as instrumentation & controls engineering. All these areas are used to make sure the design comes together to solve our clients needs.

Working for clients can mean many different things. For water and wastewater treatment, it usually means municipal or industrial projects. Municipal projects involve working on a City or Town's water and wastewater treatment plants. When working on industrial projects it can involve pulp mills, oil extraction processes, or factories. I work closely with the people who build our designs. My main role is to make sure the project is built how it was intended. This requires a lot of coordination and work in the office as well as on site!

My career path is

In high school, I didn't know I was going to become an engineer. I always had an interest in math and science. This led me to taking the engineering program in university. Once in university I realized it was the challenge that I was after. I realized that this was what I loved about math and science, and engineering was the next level to that. While in university, I completed an internship in the water and wastewater industry. Being involved in consulting engineering, in a company such as Jacobs Engineering, was an added bonus during my internship. This was because I realized I could be involved in engineering design, project management, and business development all working for the same company. This really piqued my interest!

I am motivated by

I am motivated by teamwork. I enjoy coming together with not only my coworkers, but also clients and contractors to achieve a common goal. It is exciting to see something taken from a concept or idea and developed into something that meets regulations as well as the client's vision. Seeing it finally built into a working piece of infrastructure that is crucial to the functioning of a City or Town is very satisfying. For the day to day, my motivation comes from constant learning and being able to interact with many different professional backgrounds.

How I affect people’s lives

Water and wastewater treatment is something most people don't need to think or worry about. When these services aren't available is when it really highlights how important water and wastewater treatment really is. It improves quality of life and helps protect the environment at the same time. The best part about working in this field is knowing how many people are affected everyday by what I get the privilege to work on!

Outside of work I

I love to be outdoors. Growing up in Calgary meant the mountains were always close by and getting out hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter were my favourite down time activities. I love to camp, cook, travel, garden, and anything that allows me to explore or be outside. I also enjoy learning new skills and recently learned how to quilt!

My advice to others

Keep an open mind and explore your opportunities. Engineering opens so many doors so never be afraid to peek inside and see what is in there. Stay excited about learning and you will be successful!