Kristopher Peters

The first memory Kristopher Peters has of engineering was a graduation present from his grade 3 teacher, Ms. Ames. “She bought me a book called How Things Work,” he said.

It was the start of a love affair with engineering, which continues today.

“My transition into university was good, as I had been lcuky to attend a very high-quality college for my civil engineering diploma,” he said. “The fact that I also took calculus in high school and went to an engineering university transfer program right after high school made the transition much easier.”

But it wasn’t all roses. Anyone who knows about the engineering field knows it is a hard field of study.

“The biggest issue I faced was moving my family to a new province over 3,000 kilometres from home to attend school,” said Peters, who now works as a civil engineer in Kamloops, British Columbia.

His job lets him be directly involved in many different areas of civil engineering.

“This is a very challenging career path and it needs your devotion to being a professional, a learner, a teacher to your co-workers, and most importantly a problem solver,” he said.

For younger students interested in a career in civil engineering, Kristopher suggests checking out the website engenious.ca and We’re Civil Engineers, a book written by Queen’s University’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.

Peters’ studies pushed him to volunteer as a mentor to First Nations engineering students while he was at university, and he now works with APEGBC, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, and acts as the local community representative.

He has also offered his expertise to his home community, the Seabird Island Band, located in the Fraser Valley an hour east of Vancouver.

Peters is not just about work and mentioned that, “I enjoy competition and teamwork, so I play many sports when I can,” he said. “My children guide me to different activities as they grow, such as libraries, swimming, playgrounds, movies, adventure parks, hikes, and of course Science World.”

Peters added his spiritual connection “has taken a backseat to family and sports, but when I can, I attend different cultural and spiritual ceremonies.”