Samera Khan

Stay true to yourself and your values.

• Why did you join WiOPS?
  • I joined WIOPS to meet more women in the industry and to learn about their experiences of navigating a career in a male dominated industry.

• What do you see as the biggest value in being a member of WiOPS?
  • The biggest value of joining WIOPS for me are the wide variety of events that are hosted. From the job walks to the informational panels, there is something for everyone.

• How did you get involved/started in construction/your role?
  • In high school, I attended a college presentation where a Chico State Concrete Industry Management (CIM) student was speaking about her experience in the program. She spoke about all the different opportunities that she had the chance to be a part of including participating in various competitions, attend conferences, internships, and the overall hands-on experiences that she has had from either the classroom or through volunteer opportunities. I was intrigued and decided to look into the major. Through CIM, I was introduced into the world of concrete which led me to the construction industry. I never thought there could be a career for me in construction and now I am trying to encourage other younger women to give the industry a chance. Also I later learned that my uncle used to drive a ready-mix truck back in the day. So that was pretty cool.

• What is your favorite thing about construction?
  • My favorite thing about construction is how technical the industry is. There are so many components that take a building from 2D to 3D, and we have to make sure that everything works well together.

• How do you feel about being a woman in the industry?
  • I feel empowered to be a woman in this industry but at the same time I’m not going to say it isn’t hard. When that happens you have to remind yourself why you do what you do and keep moving forward.

• What advice would you give a young woman entering the industry?
  • To the women who are entering the construction industry, I would say spend as much time in the field as possible and ask a lot of questions. Most importantly, stay true to yourself and your values.