Be YoU @ CPO – Sonia Richards
Sonia Richards began her career in construction, a famously male-dominated industry, almost 42 years ago. At the time, the job site secretary was usually the only other woman on site. Sonia, a field engineer, was the target of off-color jokes and insults, and even saw her name included in scribbled comments on the walls of the job site Porta Potties.
However, some colleagues supported her and performed incredible acts of kindness for Sonia as she made a place for herself in the industry. It was those colleagues who strengthened her resolve, making her work harder to prove herself and make it clear that she was worthy of that support and kindness.
“Those experiences instilled in me the desire to always treat people with respect, no matter what their position or role was on the job. It also led me to being a mentor for other women who joined me in the industry.”
Now the leader of Planning, Design & Construction, Sonia uses her experiences, positive and negative, to shape how she approaches her work and her team. To her, this means accepting every person for who they are, and recognizing the value they bring to the University and her, personally. When asked what advice she would give to those with similar experiences to her own, Sonia encourages respect, especially for oneself.
“Sadly, we will always run into people who want to bring us down. I believe that many of these people suffer from their own insecurities and lack of self-esteem. We should never encourage this behavior, and we should certainly stand up for ourselves. But always remember to treat others with the respect that you want and deserve.”
If you would like to share your own story, please contact us.