A College Grad and Butcher Paper

July 2024

When I first graduated college, I was hired by Foster Wheeler, an Engineering and Construction Company. I was assigned to a Mentor, Braulio G., a man who had migrated to the U.S. with a wife, a daughter, and 14 cents in his pocket. But that is another story…

My first assignment was to go to the grocery store and buy a roll of butcher paper. At the time, I didn't see the value in such a seemingly menial task. I had a college degree, and I was going to the grocery store to fetch a roll of butcher paper. Little did I know, this task held a lesson that would shape my professional journey.

Upon returning to the office, I was instructed to cut five lengths of paper and tape them side-to-side. It was not bad enough that I was sent to the grocery store, but now I am making 'paper dolls’. Next thing you know, I will be coloring shapes (something I did back in kindergarten). My attitude was not very good…

Once the five sheets were taped together, Braulio gave me a list of titles to place at the top of the new wall art (taped to the wall immediately in front of my desk). The titles were:

Process Data Sheet from Process

Process Data Sheet to Client for approval

Client Comments to Process Engineering

Updated Data Sheet to Mechanical Engineering

Etc…you get the idea

What I should have realized was that I was 'developing' the front-end schedule for the entire engineering team.  One day, the in-house Client representative came to my office and asked the status of Pump 101 data sheet. Well, I stood up proudly and, using my wall art, informed him that his team was still reviewing the document (and by the way, they were late returning comments). Boy, did I feel good that day! And my office suite mate, Braulio, let me stand there and take all the credit! How short-sighted I was that day.

Thankfully, Braulio was forgiving. He understood that I was a young college graduate, still learning the ropes of the industry. He continued to guide and train me, shaping me into the skilled Project Engineer I became.