Outstanding in the Field:
Guada Gonzalez
Field Professional II
Raleigh, NC
My Why: My position has allowed me to use my love for the outdoors and my degree in Geology and make a fun and rewarding career out of it. I manage geotechnical projects as well as spend a good amount of time behind the drill rig, so I get a good balance of managing people and writing reports, as well as getting my hands dirty and seeing interesting and new places.
What is one fact about you that might surprise people? I play ice hockey! It started as something fun to learn with my partner, as he’s played his entire life, and then I quickly fell in love with the rush it gave me and now I play 1 to 2 times a week in an adult league.
What’s one piece of advice you like? Life is short, do what makes you happy first and foremost because everything else will eventually fall into place.
What is your hometown? I claim Clayton, NC as my hometown, but I was born in Argentina, and raised between Maryland, North Carolina, and Kansas. But North Carolina has and will always feel like home as it’s where I have now spent most of my life living and nowhere else can beat how amazing and beautiful this state is!
How did you get into this line of work?
In grad school while finishing my geology degree, I worked part time as a CMT lab technician, and immediately knew I wanted to continue my work as a geologist in the Geotechnical field.
Tell us about your family.
I have been with my partner for almost two years now and we can thank good ole dating apps for that. We have a beautiful German Shepherd named Luna. I rescued her when she was 2 years old, and we have the same personality. She’s the best!
What is your bucket list vacation?
Greece and Italy are two places that are on the top of my list to visit!
What’s one accomplishment you are proud of and why?
It’s hard to pick one so I will list the few that I am extra proud of!
- Earning my Master’s in It was hard especially during Covid, but it was so fun to conduct research in something I was passionate about and earn that degree.
- Learning to ice skate and play hockey at It gave me a spark I didn’t know I could ever have and not only is it great exercise and stress reliever, but brought a whole new level to my relationship as it was something my partner and I could do together.
- Moving across the country by myself after finishing grad school and starting my career as a geologist.