Alice Chen is a lifelong learner who doesn’t back down from new experiences. Her fearlessness unexpectedly led her to engineering and today, she’s a land use engineer with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
“I’m not afraid to try new things,” she said. “I’ve always made it a point to keep learning and growing.”
Chen was a science major throughout college, earning an A.S. degree in Science from Virginia Peninsula Community College in 2018. She followed up with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia and strictly applied to science-based jobs after college.
The surprising turn in Chen’s professional life happened when she received a call about a contractor’s position with the pharmaceutical company Merck in Elkton, Va. She took the life-changing opportunity. Just like that, Chen was a wastewater treatment engineer.
“I actually didn’t apply for the contractor job. They reached out to me after seeing my resume, and I was really surprised,” she explained. “I didn’t think I’d be considered since my background was purely in science. But I thought, ‘Why not take the chance?’”
Leaving her comfort zone was a smart decision. The experience from her first job gave Chen the confidence needed for her VDOT position.
She’s now part of major projects with VDOT including an Amazon facility in Louisa, Va.
“They’re planning to build a data center, so we’re learning how to coordinate with them and manage the permitting process,” she explained. “It’s important because their investment could bring jobs and increase the local population. That’s the most fascinating part to me.”
While involvement in a large construction project is one facet of her work, the job has routine duties, particularly working with the permitting department.
“If a utility company wants to perform work on public roads, I review their plans and either offer suggestions or process the permit, I also review a lot of site plans—whether it’s for business development or anything affecting public infrastructure,” she said
Her receptiveness to change was shaped by a major transition. In 2013, her family moved to the United States from her native Chiayi, Taiwan. Chen, who was 17 at that time, initially found it challenging.
“My English was really poor at the time, and it made everything extremely difficult,” she said. “I still remember my first year — I struggled in every class because I couldn’t understand most of what was being said, which made it hard to keep up and participate.”
Chen credits a dedicated ESL tutor at Grafton High School for helping improve her language skills and adjust to living in Yorktown, Va.
“My ESL tutor, Carin Garrett, was incredibly supportive — I always saw her as my school mom,”
With those experiences behind her, Chen remains focused on her goals. She’s studying business analytics as a part-time student at Georgia Tech toward a second master’s degree. The Charlottesville resident is also a licensed insurance agent.
“I have all the insurance licenses — property, casualty, life. I’m licensed to sell any kind of insurance,” she noted, pointing out it’s one of her fallback plans if ever she lost her job.
Although humble about her achievements, Chen welcomed the chance to serve as the guest speaker for VPCC’s Science Club on March 4. She happily accepted the invitation from Prof. Pengfei Song of the STEM division.
In an online presentation to an audience of nearly 20 people, Chen shared why she chose community college and discussed her experiences transferring to a four-year school, including challenges and advantages. She also covered transitioning from college to the workforce, job searching and career development. Chen offered insights into her field, touching on entry-level salaries and long-term career goals.
Offering sound advice, she cited fostering and maintaining good relationships as necessary for success. She also emphasized every mistake is a learning opportunity.
“I would say networking is essential. I made a point to maintain strong relationships with my professors and peers—they’ve always had my back,” she said, mentioning Song as a valued mentor.“ I would say networking is essential. I made a point to maintain strong relationships with my professors and peers—they’ve always had my back.”
Busy schedule aside, Chen loves hiking and learning new languages in her free time. She taught herself American Sign Language and studied Japanese.
“I learned sign language through YouTube. I haven’t used it often, but it was enough to introduce myself and exchange basic greetings,” she said. “Once, while working as a server, I used it and surprised the customers. Another time, I used it during an internship.”
Chen learned to scuba dive as a youth. As an advanced scuba diver, she has explored the depths of Taiwan’s waters and loves the sense of adventure it brings.
Supported by her family, especially her mother, whom she calls “my biggest source of encouragement,” Chen is moving full speed ahead into the future.
“My goal is to get my EIT (engineer in training) license by the end of the year. After that, I’ll need to work under a PE (professional engineer) for four years to qualify for my PE license,” she enthused.
“But the other side, I wasn’t sure if this is what I wanted to do the rest of my life because I still have the time to figure it out. So, that’s why I applied to another master’s degree program,” she concluded.