TheSTEMGirl’s Wonder Woman of the Month: Heather Campbell
Meet Heather Campbell
Heather Campbell, a licensed professional engineer, sat down with us to share her insights into her decades-long career. Her path weaves chemical & biochemical engineering with energy law, policy and a whole lot of community building. Today, she helps a venture fund support low-carbon technologies. Beyond being an incredible role model, her vibe is simply infectious.
“I’m always looking to help build what’s next—and to bring more people to the table while we do it.”
If you’ve followed our STEMGirl role model series, you know we love women who move across disciplines and keep opening doors for others. Heather is exactly the kind of role model we all need.
A Love of Learning
Heather’s story begins with high expectations and early exposure to science. As a kid, she visited the Shell Canada research lab where her dad worked, peeking at logbooks and learning what words like mass spectrometer and gas chromatograph meant. At school, a 100% in grade‑nine science became a source of family pride and a lesson: celebrate—and then ask, Can you do it again?
At home, there were no fixed gender roles. That shared‑responsibility model quietly taught a core engineering truth: skills are learnable and problems are solvable. It also taught Heather to show up, work hard, and expect excellence from herself.
The Confidence Engine
We asked Heather what made her so confident and what kept her going when challenges inevitably came. Her answer was fascinating. Before engineering, there was dance. From age three, Heather was on stage—tap, ballet, Caribbean dance, music—performing under bright lights where there’s no hiding in the wings. That rhythm of prepare → show up → deliver became a superpower she carried into exams, boardrooms, and even parliamentary testimony.
“If you’re the only little Black girl on stage, you can’t mess it up—everyone will see. So you prepare. You perform. You own it.”
This is one of our favourite STEMGirl truths: the arts don’t compete with STEM—they feed it. Reps on a stage become courage behind a microphone; rehearsal becomes resilience when the stakes are high.
A Career Toward Impact
Professionally, Heather learned to place herself where she could perform, achieve, and excel—even when the territory was new. That mindset allowed her to pivot across different roles. From engineering into energy policy, investment advising, and civic leadership, Heather embodies the art of pivoting.
Golden Advice
Towards the end of the interview, we asked Heather what her advice would be to a 15‑ or 16‑year‑old?
“Pay attention. To world events. To the transitions happening around you—political, social, and economic. Ask why five times. You do not have the luxury of ignoring what shapes your life. And while you’re paying attention, learn to translate. Use plain language. Explain complex things clearly. ”
Heather was also incredibly honest about the importance of enjoying life wherever you are.
“Life is short.”
The call is to make the most of opportunities while you’re living them—finding joy and service alongside grit.
STEMGirl Spark — Takeaways for Girls (and the Grown‑Ups Who Love Them)
Turn practice into confidence. Performances, presentations, debates—reps build the guts.
Volunteer for stretch. If work won’t give you the chance, a board, club, or nonprofit will.
Use plain language. Clear is kind—and powerful.
CTA: Want a simple way to practice confidence at home or in your classroom? Download The STEM Girl Guide to Confidence and get prompts, mini‑challenges, and reflection pages you can start using today.