Meet Ivy Friesen — Mechanical Designer

In July, we welcomed Ivy Friesen to the Design Works mechanical team. Fresh from completing her graduate work at the University of Alberta, Ivy brings a mix of academic excellence, co-op experience, and curiosity about how mechanical engineering plays out in the real world.

"When I was younger, I got to do an engineering program at the U of A called the GEM Program through Discovery, and I thought it was so cool — all the different things we could do, all the different kinds of engineering. That’s the first time I thought, ‘Maybe I want to be an engineer,’ and I just continued on that path."

Her education took her through both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, alongside four co-op placements. "I had four different placements — two at the U of A, one government role in Ottawa, and one drafting role in Vancouver. It was nice that they were all in different aspects of mechanical engineering."

Ivy’s choice of discipline was about keeping her options open. "I looked to mechanical because it felt very broad. You could work in many different fields, whereas in chemical engineering in Alberta, you might be restricted to oil and gas. In mechanical, it just seemed like you had way more options."

What drew her to Design Works was the chance to put that breadth into practice. "What appealed to me was that I’d get to use my mechanical skills from school. That was important to me, to use all the education I had received."

A few weeks in, the transition has been a positive one. "Everyone is super nice, knows so much, and has been eager to share their knowledge. I really appreciate it."

And the learning curve is exactly what she was hoping for. "I’m looking forward to learning how to apply mechanical engineering in the real world. In school, you read the book and think it’s great, but now I get to see what really applies, what’s simplified for us, or even overly complicated in school."

Welcome to the team, Ivy! We’re excited to see your career grow here!

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