SuperMom: Carly Moss
SuperMom: Carly Moss
-Liesel Schmidt
With all the logistics, chemistry, and math that goes into running a household, sometimes it seems as though it literally takes a degree in engineering to be a mother. Luckily for Carly Moss, she actually holds a bachelor’s in chemical engineering.
As a Regulatory Engineer at Chevron, Moss supports and advises offshore Gulf of Mexico oil and gas exploration and production operations on the regulatory requirements required by the U.S. government for operating in the Gulf of Mexico. “Chevron is the second largest oil company in the U.S., and we are involved in all aspects of the oil and gas industries including hydrocarbon exploration and production; refining, marketing and transport; chemicals manufacturing and sales; and power generation,” Moss explains.
As technical as her work is, it requires a great deal of time and focus. Still, Moss balances her job with motherhood, understanding the importance of both aspects of her life and the way they both enrich her. “Being a working mom has many challenges, but it’s so rewarding,” says Moss, who has been married to her high school sweetheart for 11 years and has three children aged nine, eight, and four. “I often find myself multitasking between my job and the responsibility of being a mom. Being a working mom means getting up early to fix breakfast and lunches, then quickly switching to working mode where I evaluate and prioritize my work tasks and meetings. At lunch, I prepare for study time with the kids based on their homework and test schedules. Then I finish off the workday at five p.m., and then mom mode starts. We do homework and studying and then typically head to some sport practice. After practice, we come home, eat supper, do baths, spend a little family time together, then off to bed to start all over again the next day.”
As busy as it keeps her schedule, Moss sees the value in what she’s doing and the example she’s setting for her three children. “I believe being a working mom shows my kids that when they work hard, they truly can have the best of all worlds,” she says. “I am able to have a satisfying career in which I get to be part of a company working to provide reliable, affordable, and ever-cleaner energy to make life better. I get to do this meaningful work all while having the ultimate job of being a mom and providing for my family. I believe this is enriching for my children in that they see me working hard and being dedicated to both areas of my life.”
In her work, Moss has learned a valuable lesson that carries over into other aspects of life: “It’s important to be confident. And when you don’t know something or have an answer, it’s okay to say, ‘I don’t know, but I will find out for you.’”
Likewise, she has learned an incredible amount from her children that no degree could ever teach. “They’ve taught me so much; but most importantly, they have taught me how to enjoy life and to live in the moment,” she says.
In being a working mother, Moss is capably handling a great deal of responsibilities; and she takes pride in what she’s doing. “Working a full-time job is hard, and so is being a parent,” she says. “I am proud of giving both my best. I’ve realized that nothing will be perfect, and I won’t ever be able to give 100 percent to both at once. Accepting this has given me peace. I enjoy having a very accomplished day at work, solving problems, the same way that I am filled with joy watching my kids play sports. I try to be as present as possible at whatever it is I’m doing; and my attention to work and parenthood alternates all the time, but neither has suffered. What’s that saying….’I know I can do anything, but I can’t do everything, and that’s okay.’”
As her children get older, Moss most wants them to remember that she was present for them. “At school for the little things, at sporting events, after school to help them study, on family night…I just want them to always remember that I was there for them,” she says.
Togetherness is important to her, as is the faith she’s instilling in her little ones. “Every morning before school, we say prayers asking God to guide and protect us and watch over our family, and then we do daily affirmations,” she says. “If I ever forget, they always remind me they want to say prayers and do our daily affirmations.”
