For 20 years, I was a Navy wife and stay-at-home mom, believing that would be my lifelong role – until my divorce changed everything.
Suddenly, I was a single mother, navigating food banks and sharing a one-bedroom apartment with my kids while trying to rebuild our future.
I started taking music classes with my son, never expecting that it would set me on a path to earning undergraduate and master’s degrees. Along the way, I enrolled in an environmental course with Dr. Danny Kim, where I first heard about environmental, health and safety.
I needed a 40-hour practicum and, by chance, I parked in a different lot at school and saw a sign for the environmental safety department.
On a whim, I walked in and asked Scott Bourdon if I could complete my practicum there. He said yes – and that moment changed my life.
Scott mentored me as I organized the college’s first environmental waste drive and, from there, doors opened.
I landed an internship at Disneyland, where I conducted noise testing and learned firsthand about workplace hazards. Bob Howarth helped me craft my resume, which led me to a master’s internship with Lisa Hong.
These incredible mentors shaped my career and fueled my passion for safety.
Fifteen years later, I’m still in the field – now running my own business and helping companies build safer workplaces and protect workers. I went from knowing nothing about EHS to lowering experience modification rates, saving companies from OSHA fines and transforming workplace cultures.
But my journey isn’t just about where I’ve been – it’s about paying it forward. I was once part of the Orange County Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals’ student chapter, when we were just five members.
Now, thanks to Dr. Kim and OCASSP, the chapter has grown to 40 members. Today, I mentor students in the same chapter and recently helped guide a student’s career. My goal is to one day bring on one of these students as an intern, just as others once gave me a chance.
Being a Navy wife taught me resilience, adaptability and how to stay calm under pressure – traits that made me a stronger safety professional. Safety found me when I least expected it, but I stayed because I saw the impact it had on people’s lives. Now, I continue to mentor, support and inspire the next generation of safety pros – because no matter where you start, resilience and the right opportunities can take you anywhere.
Tracy Krieger, MPH, CSP, ASP
Safety Occupational Care
Irvine, CA
