Growing up, Fallon Herrick wanted to help people. Today, she engineers clean water for communities.

An associate engineer, her day-to-day work includes water main replacement projects and rehabilitating water treatment plants. When asked to describe engineering, she says it’s everywhere.

“Engineering matters because it's all around us,” she said in a recent interview with the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Missouri. “I tell my friends, it's the roads you drive on and how the water gets to your house. It’s everywhere.”

Since starting her career four years ago, she has already noticed advancements in technology.

“A lot of things have changed, like how we use different coding software,” she said. “Things are more automated, which has been interesting. Engineering is evolving all the time.”

Being curious has helped Fallon grow in her career. Starting as an Olsson intern, Fallon transitioned to a full-time role in 2021 after graduating from the University of Kansas.

"How I keep learning and growing in my career is having the mindset that I don’t know everything," she said. "Stay hungry for more knowledge, especially on projects you haven’t worked on before.”