What a Decade in Mechanical Engineering Teaches You

A conversation with Mykel Vallerga, P.E.

This June 23 marks International Women in Engineering Day, a moment to recognize the contributions women make across every corner of the AEC industry. At Lynk Engineers, that includes the engineers, designers, acousticians, and engineering technicians who shape the buildings, systems, and infrastructure we all rely on every day. Their work, often unseen, is part of what makes the built environment function safely and efficiently.

In recognition of the day, we sat down with Mykel Vallerga, P.E., a mechanical engineer with more than ten years of experience, to talk about her path into the profession, the challenges she has navigated, and what keeps her excited about the work. Her perspective offers a window into what a career in engineering can look like, and what it can become.

A Series of Choices, Not a Single Moment

Vallerga did not always know she would become an engineer. She grew up in a family of teachers and developed an early love of math, one she still carries with her today through occasional tutoring. But as she weighed her options, she realized she did not want to teach math or pursue purely theoretical research. She wanted to apply it.

That realization led her to the University of Utah, where she narrowed her options to chemical, mechanical, and biomedical engineering. She chose mechanical for its flexibility. "It's just kind of the series of, sure, let's try this one," she said. "And I ended up really liking it."

Walking Into the Room

Engineering is demanding by nature, regardless of who is doing it. But Vallerga points to a specific challenge tied to being a woman in a field where she is often the only one, and frequently the youngest person, in a room of ten or twenty men. Building the confidence to speak up, and to comfortably say "I don't know, but I'll find out," took time and experience.

What has helped, she says, is the problem-solving culture of the industry itself. "Regardless of who you are, if you're trying to solve a problem or come up with a creative solution and have valuable input, that speaks volumes versus who you are."

The People Who Paved the Way

Vallerga credits much of her growth to mentors who invested in her early on, including colleagues who helped her translate a broad mechanical engineering background into a specialty in HVAC, and a professor who modeled what it looks like to stay engaged in the industry long after the classroom. She also points to local advocates working to bring more women into leadership across the AEC field, particularly in architecture and design, as a source of inspiration and accountability for the industry.

A Changing Industry

Over her career, Vallerga has watched the profession shift toward more flexible, hybrid work, a change that took hold during the pandemic and has since settled into a workable rhythm. She also sees real movement locally, as Salt Lake City's design and construction industry grows and welcomes more women into the field. The work itself remains collaborative by nature, with team-oriented projects that benefit from people being in the room together, even as flexibility around where that room is has expanded.

Advice for Women Considering an Engineering Path

Asked what she would tell a woman considering engineering today, Vallerga's answer was direct. "Do it if you love it. It's tough and it's difficult, but you can do a lot of tough things. Find your passion and what you like and build the team around you. You'll find those mentors and supporters. You don't have to do it on your own."

Solving the Puzzle

When asked what she loves most about being an engineer, Vallerga did not hesitate: problem-solving. Every mechanical room, she explained, is its own version of Tetris, a set of familiar puzzle pieces arranged in a way that is never quite the same twice. "Every building, every project, every group is unique," she said. "There's nothing more satisfying than when you can see all the pieces but don't quite know how they fit together, and then it clicks. That's a great feeling."

That sense of discovery, paired with a deep well of experience to draw from, is part of what keeps engineers like Vallerga engaged year after year, and part of what makes the field worth opening to more people who share that same curiosity.