#BreakingTheBias
“One day, I had parked my vehicle at GGMC’s Hadfield Street entrance, and I ran into a girl I knew, and she asked me what kind of jobs are in there (GGMC) for women. That question blew my mind. I have never thought once of anything like that, and it worried me that there are people out there thinking like that…“
These were the captivating words of Mrs Marissa Gordon, who outlined that this is what now drives her to mentor young girls into pursuing whatever careers their hearts desire, especially if it is in male-dominated fields. She can be considered a trailblazer among women who have ventured into these studies and is now executing a job that many might say has been designed or biased just for men.
Acknowledging the gender bias some people still possess, one of her primary goals as an engineering professional is to put to death the myth that these are only jobs for men. “I had a guy from Africa see me in a mining pit, in the interior. He had the audacity to ask me what I was doing there. He went on to say that as a woman, I shouldn’t be in there and when I get a husband, I will not be able to do those things. We are an evolved society, but some of these mentalities still exist; people still think like this man.”
She did not arrive here overnight though. There is a story to tell, a journey – a bittersweet one, but it’s also a testimony of God’s faithfulness, and she was not shy to tell it. Marissa’s story didn’t start later in life when she was conscious of the decisions she was making, like all of us; God wrote her story from the moment she was conceived.
Her mother, Gillian Foster, hinted that her daughter always had a curious mind. Marissa’s parents nurtured that by supporting her goals, ensuring she had an education and providing the ideal environment for her to thrive.
At the centre of her testimony is a scripture reference that she holds near and dear, which has brought and still carries her through life’s journey. It is Jeremiah 29:11 which declares, “…For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Marissa’s journey started as an uncertain career path turned into a desirable hobby and an exciting and coveted everyday work experience. The young engineer started her school life at St. Agnes Primary, then attended Queen’s College to complete her secondary education. She was one of those students who was always reading or studying instead of playing. Her father saw this as a preferred pastime and bought books regularly to encourage her to read. Even with all this, Marissa had no spark to determine what exactly she wanted to pursue for a career.
The Dream(s)
“Everything I did or wanted to do was so far removed from what I am today. In primary school, I wanted to be a teacher; then, from watching CSI with my siblings, I thought I wanted to be a forensic scientist. By the time I got to the end of high school, I was at a complete loss about what to do with my life; I was no longer interested in becoming a forensic scientist. For sure, I knew that I didn’t want a mundane job that would have me behind a desk doing the same thing every day.”
Inspired by a passion ignited by her teacher Ms Baksh during her years at high school, Marissa set out on her tertiary journey at the University of Guyana, intending to pursue a double major in Biology and Geography. A scholarship advert for geological engineering however, piqued her interest, and she sought advice from Ms Baksh about the field. Upon learning what geological engineering entailed, Marissa excitedly applied for the scholarship. Although initially unsuccessful, faith and perseverance led to her being awarded the scholarship just a few weeks after she commenced her undergraduate studies.
For sure, I knew that I didn’t want a mundane job that would have me behind a desk doing the same thing every day.” – Marissa Gordon
Throughout her undergraduate studies at the University of Guyana, Marissa developed a keen interest in all things petroleum. She was intent on her final year project being petroleum-related and pursuing a master’s degree in that same area of study. One of her managers met this interest with discouragement due to the lack of oil discovery and active drilling in Guyana at the time.
Swayed by his opinion, Marissa changed course and completed her final year project on improving interior roadways in Guyana. Her project earned her a James Punawase Award, which the University of Guyana gives to engineering students whose work is deemed impactful, potentially contributing to national development.
Trusting God
Influenced by her manager’s insistence against studies in a petroleum-related field, Marissa applied for a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in geophysics in Australia. Though, she was unsuccessful in this regard and understandably disappointed, she maintained a faithful and prayerful attitude, fasting and praying for a full scholarship.
As the promise-keeper and way-maker that He is, God showed up for Marissa, using the same manager who had dissuading words previously, to present her with the news of an opportunity for a fully-funded, petroleum-related scholarship.
As faith would have it, Marissa applied and was awarded a full scholarship to pursue a Master’s Degree in Petroleum Exploration and Production. Marissa spent one year in Madrid, Spain, through this scholarship at Centro Superior de Formación Repsol (Repsol Higher Training Centre). This was a crucial step in fulfilling Marissa’s dream, an opening of new horizons for the budding engineer.
Challenges
Upon arriving in Madrid in 2014, Marissa’s first challenge was coping with the culture shock she experienced. She struggled with several aspects of her new life, from unfamiliar food to her inability to communicate effectively (language barrier). Over time, she found ways to manage, particularly since these issues paled compared to the academic challenges she faced.
Her second challenge was successfully navigating her academic programme. The one-year programme was divided into three four-month periods, the first of which is the Basic Overview Block or BOB. All topics related to oil and gas were introduced to students during this period, after which tests were administered at one-week intervals. If a student obtained four F’s (failed four exams), then they would be barred from moving on to the subsequent four-month session and sent home without completing the programme.
With three topics left to complete the BOB, Marissa had already received three Fs, and frustration was stepping in. She described this time as a highly stressful phase where she hardly slept and struggled to find balance and manage the demands of her programme.
Thankfully, she had a great support system in place to help her through this challenging chapter.
At the core of this support system was her family, boyfriend (now husband) and a few church members who prayed for and encouraged her to remain committed to her goal.
Marissa also visited the Corbins in Switzerland during her downtime, and they constantly kept in touch for the duration of her studies. She credited these moments as pivotal to her journey and success in Spain. Marissa acknowledged that pursuing her master’s was no small undertaking, and the excellent grades she graduated with were partially due to the superb support she received along the way.
God Makes No Mistakes
God makes no mistakes. He made a way, cleared a path for Marissa to study Petroleum Geoscience in 2014, and in 2015 the announcement was made, GUYANA HAS OIL! The news came to her and another Guyanese student through the student liaison officer in Spain, and this made her even more excited to return home as one of the few Guyanese qualified at this level in a sector that will put Guyana as a major player in global affairs – the newest oil-producing nation in the world.
Marissa is now a Technical Officer at the Ministry of Natural Resources working at the policy level, applying the knowledge she obtained from her studies here in Guyana and overseas and her work experience. Still, she doesn’t want to stop there; she has grown and developed a passion for creating and implementing strategies and managing projects while providing technical insight to effect progress in the oil and gas sector.
“What’s next for me is I’ll seek to expand my horizon on technical management since I found that is what I like, but I haven’t figured out exactly how to do it, but there is training for it …. Every time I feel called to do something, God always provides a way with a scholarship. I’ve never had to pay for any form of tertiary training I received since I left high school because God has always provided.”
Every time I feel called to do something, God always provides a way…” – Marissa Gordon
Marissa pointed out that in light of all her accomplishments, she cannot neglect her social responsibility to reach out to young women who might not be fortunate enough to access and benefit from the same opportunities and experiences. She is committed to narrowing that gap through mentorship, particularly for young women. “I want to find a way to mentor young people, young girls, especially. Too often girls are limited, either by themselves or their environment, so I want to get involved and play my part. I’ve even thought about signing up with the Missionettes Department, where I can mentor girls within my local church.”
There is a lot more of Marissa Gordon that Guyana needs to see and hear. This is just the beginning, and we cannot wait to tell that next Chapter.
