“When you stepped off the plane in the United States, you made one huge mistake,” an American friend told the Ukrainian-born bride of Frank McLaughlin. “You should have headed straight to a model agency.”
The plane passenger had other plans: to learn English and have her Ukrainian engineering credentials recognized in the U.S. Twelve years after her arrival in the U.S., Svetlana McLaughlin is certified by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies and is employed as assistant resident engineer/office engineer for Modjeski and Masters on a three-year project to replace the roadway deck for the 7,800-foot-long south span of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.
- Ukrainian-born Svetlana McLaughlin has carved out a rich personal and professional life in the United States.
She commutes to the Newburgh-based job from the McLaughlin home in Gardiner. She previously worked on the Hoffman Street Bridge project in Poughkeepsie for Modjeski and Masters, an internationally renowned bridge engineering firm. McLaughlin divides her business day between work at the computer in the office and checking out progress on the bridge, which includes deck demolition and installation of a modular/panelized replacement deck system, resetting deck expansion joints and steel repairs.
Raised as an only child, the Ukrainian native credits much of her talent to her parents, the late Vladimir Loyk, a physicist by trade who was also an artist, sculptor, published writer and poet, and Ludmila, who is an accountant with the national theater. In fact, the McLaughlins treasure some of her late father”™s paintings and sculptures in their home. The daughter earned both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the National Metallurgical Academy of Ukraine, which is equivalent in standards to its counterparts in the U.S. She was executive director of Mettrade, a scientific industrial enterprise, when she met Frank McLaughlin, visiting the Ukraine for the wedding of a mutual friend.
McLaughlin, who works in civil engineering, urged her to visit the United States, where she had a Ukrainian friend, and then persuaded her to stay. She initially worked as a nanny. Speaking only Ukrainian and Russian, she relied on help of friends, the dictionary, language study books and television to learn English. “The voices in the commercials spoke so fast that I couldn”™t separate the words,” she says. Then magic struck. A repetitive commercial promoting a film to be shown in several months had a commanding line: “Put the gun down.” After viewing it a number of times, she managed to separate the words, and it was smooth going from there on in.
The McLaughlins lived in Garrison after their marriage and later in Kent Cliffs before moving to Gardiner.
“I love working on different projects and the brilliant people I meet,” the Ukrainian native says. She does worry about her mother, Ludmila, who remains in the Ukraine 140 miles from the fighting front. “I”™d like to bring her here, but she is still working and has many friends there,” the daughter says.
Meanwhile, married to a consummate extrovert, she has become an accomplished hostess. The McLaughlins define themselves as “outdoor people,” enjoying hiking, cycling and gardening. “It”™s glorious where we are,” Svetlana says.
Challenging Careers focuses on the exciting and unusual business lives of Hudson Valley residents. Comments or suggestions may be emailed to Catherine Portman-Laux at cplaux@optonline.net.
Svetlana is a beautiful person inside and out. Very happy for her well deserved achivements.