In today’s episode of Ordinarily Extraordinary – Conversations with Women in STEM, Kathy and Linda sit down with environmental engineer and river guide Mishael Umlor — a woman who pressed pause on her engineering career to live a year of adventure, intention, and joy.

Kathy first met Mishael this summer while rowing through the Grand Canyon on a 14-day paddle trip. What began as a passing “Wait… you’re an engineer?” moment turned into months of wanting to learn more about her unconventional, intentional path. Today, you’ll hear that full story.

About Mishael Umlor

Mishael holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental engineering and worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on hydrology, water quality, and river systems modeling. After earning her PE, she made the bold decision to step away for a year to travel, guide rivers, reconnect with family, and build a life that aligns with her values.

During her year away she:

• Guided rafting trips in the Grand Canyon
• Traveled for six weeks in Belize — where she and her husband had their wedding attire custom-designed
• Rode motorcycles through Central America
• Spent months backcountry camping in Baja
• Completed a five-week ski tour using a DIY truck camper
• Visited family across the Midwest
• Got married
• And reconnected with the outdoors in ways that shape the next chapter of her engineering career

Her story is a powerful example of designing a life with intentionality, courage, and creativity.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• How Mishael discovered environmental engineering through community college and a love of math
• Her experience working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Taking a year off after earning her PE — what she learned and how she made it possible
• The logistics and finances of long-term travel and seasonal living
• River guiding, safety stories, and what it’s really like flipping a fully loaded kitchen boat in the Grand Canyon
• Finding balance between a technical career and a passion-driven outdoor lifestyle
• What she wants her engineering career to look like next — and how she plans to blend contract work and river-based fieldwork
• The beauty of creating a life you actually want (even when it doesn’t look like the traditional path)

Why You’ll Love This Episode

Mishael’s story is a refreshing and inspiring look at the many ways women in STEM can shape careers that don’t fit into boxes. Her honesty about fear, joy, logistics, and dreams makes this a conversation that will resonate with anyone rethinking their own path — whether early, mid, or late career.

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