A career in medicine seemed like a good idea to Carly Nord through middle school and high school. Then, that goal came to an abrupt end at the Empire Mall.
That’s because her sister took her to the mall so Carly could have her ears pierced at a kiosk near the former food court location. During the procedure, Carly fainted. That’s when she realized that any career that involved blood was not for her.
What to do with her interest in math and science though? She consulted two uncles, one a chemical engineer, the other an electrical engineer. They both gave her positive encouragement. So, after graduating from Lincoln High School, she headed north to South Dakota State University and a major in electrical engineering.
This week, Carly learned that she had successfully passed the one-day exam she took in October and now is licensed in South Dakota as a Professional Engineer. She already has passed the exam for LEED GA.
Her choice to become in an electrical engineer came with her decision to attend SDSU, her parents’ alma mater. Had she chosen South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Carly would have become a chemical engineer.
She rarely second-guesses the decisions she makes, though, and this is no different.
“I’ve always been pretty decisive,” she says. “I loved chemistry in high school, but I loved physics, too, and I knew I couldn’t go wrong.”
At SDSU, Carly learned to challenge herself, particularly under the guidance of Dr. Robert Fourney, an associate professor of electrical engineering and her advisor for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. When her education was coming to a close, she challenged herself again by exploring positions in New Jersey and Texas.
Her first interview at TSP, however, had introduced her to Senior Electrical Engineers Tony Dwire and Darrell Bren. Carly liked the atmosphere she found at TSP. She joined TSP on May 20, 2013 . Of all the projects she has worked on since then, the expansion at Dow Rummel Village probably ranks as her favorite.
“It’s one of the biggest so it could be overwhelming,” Carly says. “But in terms of specialness, it’s also the people that will be living there. And the lighting system will use daylight colors that are supposed to keep people’s circadian rhythms in balance so I’m really excited to see how that turns out.”
The professional accomplishment comes just two months before Carly and her husband embark on a personal change in their lives: Their first child, a boy, is due Feb. 26, 2019. In high school, Carly participated in activities such as marching band, soccer, basketball, and organizations like Math Club and National Honor Society. With two sisters and a majority of her cousins female, she expects that raising a son will offer multiple opportunities to challenge herself with something new.