Week 3: Too Pretty to Be an Engineer?

 By Madalaina Hlava

When you're not the lead on paper but you're the one they call when it counts

No one has ever looked me in the eye and said, “You’re too pretty to be in engineering.”
But I’ve felt it in the pauses. The second guesses. The quiet skepticism.
It’s never said outright, but the energy is there.

I’m not always the one officially leading the project.
But when something goes wrong, when a system fails, when a decision needs to be made, I’m the one they turn to.

And yet somehow, I’m still the one they question.

What They Never Say, But Always Show

They don’t have to tell me I don’t belong. They show it all the time.

It’s in the hesitation when I give an instruction.
The sideways glance before trusting my call.
The way a male counterpart is asked to confirm something I already said.

It’s in the way my presence is constantly evaluated, like I have to strike a perfect balance. Not too confident, not too quiet, not too feminine, not too much.

It’s subtle, but it adds up. And every woman in a male-dominated space knows exactly what I mean.

The Pink They Can’t Ignore

I wear pink every chance I get. Not to make a statement, but because I love it.

Pink gloves.
Pink safety glasses.
Pink tools and shirts and whatever else I can find.

I’m not doing it to stand out. I’m doing it because I shouldn’t have to strip away the things I enjoy to make other people feel more comfortable.
I shouldn’t have to “blend in” to be taken seriously.

Wearing pink doesn’t make me less capable. It doesn’t distract from my work. It reminds me that I can be both. I can be good at my job and show up in a color that makes me feel strong.
Because that’s what femininity really is—strength that refuses to apologize.

What I’ve Learned

I don’t need to over-explain or tone myself down.
I don’t need to justify why I’m here.
I don’t need to match their mold to be taken seriously.

I just need to show up, keep doing my job, and take pride in doing it my way—pink and all.

Let them look. Let them question.
I’ll still be the one solving the problem.

See you next week for Week 4: The Boundary Blur
We’ll talk about what happens when professionalism gets crossed with personal interest, and how to protect your name, your peace, and your identity.

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Madalaina Hlava is the current Miss Land of Lincoln (IL). You can follow her on her title's Instagram.

To read her other guest blogs for Section 36 Forevers, click here.