Angie Mitchell

Background

About Angie Mitchell

After serving several years as a K-12 art teacher, I embarked on a new journey in structural engineering. While I value all the experiences from my time in the classroom, I equally enjoy the opportunities and challenges of my new career. So many people I meet comment on how different engineering is from teaching art, but I can identify many ways in which the skills I developed as a teacher can be applied to structural engineering-Artists and engineers are all creative problem-solvers, seeking the most elegant solution to convey an idea or to build a structure-Effective time management is essential, whether leading a classroom of 30 third graders up to their elbows in papier mache or meeting deadlines for a multi-million dollar project-Clear, concise communication is essential when delivering instructions to a rowdy group of high schoolers and when collaborating with architects, fabricators, and contractors-A well-crafted evaluation rubric for an art project is analogous to thorough, detailed project specifications-Art teachers must identify the most economical methods and materials to meet curriculum objectives, being good stewards of taxpayer dollars just as engineers are tasked with fulfilling the needs of the client while staying within the budget-Thorough preparation and quality management are essential for success, but the ability to adapt and respond to the unexpected is critical whether an unannounced fire drill interrupts a roomful of middle schoolers covered in clay or an unanticipated conflict between structural and MEP leads to a series of RFIs.