Water and natural resources found Ashley, rather than the other way around. Initially interested in structural and transportation engineering, all of her academic projects or internships eventually led her to working in water resources. She is happy about how this adventure unfolded and the opportunities she has had while working in this profession. Hired by Otak after she graduated from college, Ashley has learned a lot from working on multidisciplinary projects over the last 15 years. Ashley has valuable collaboration skills, particularly when working with many disciplines. She enjoys coordinating and understanding aspects of a project in which she’s not directly involved, and she tries to understand constraints, particularly constructability. She appreciates the opportunities she’s had to travel for work and to participate as an American Public Works Association committee chair and board member. She’s happiest when learning new things and when she feels she has a work-life balance. While she likes being challenged in her job, she also appreciates relaxing, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. She plays violin in Oregon Sinfonietta, a community orchestra, and she teaches at an academic teen summer camp.