When Carrie Layton began exploring career paths, she initially considered following in her mother’s footsteps into accounting. But after trying it out, she quickly realized her true passion was for the sciences.

“Accounting just did not resonate with me. Instead, I knew I loved sciences,” said Layton (BSEH `96), who now serves as the Director of Environment Health Safety at PepsiCo. “I looked at the (environmental health science) program here, and it offered experience in so many different areas, and I thought, ‘Wow, this could be really fun to do and learn.’”

One course that stood out was occupational health. With a background in a small, family-owned business, Layton saw firsthand how important workplace safety could be.

“In a family-owned business, if someone was injured on the job, it was like your own family was hurt,” said Layton. “At UGA, I saw the connection of occupational health and science, and how important it was. I saw it not just as a job, but also a calling.”

From there, Layton found herself on the right path, and the support of mentors and instructors helped her continue to develop.

Her first milestone was an internship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under industrial hygienist Rebecca West.

“I just had an incredible mentor in Rebecca West, and she pushed me out of my comfort zone to have to speak in front of leaders there,” Layton said. “She gave me a lot of responsibility which helped me to grow in my field and see the possibilities.”

What began as a three-month placement grew into an 18-month role, reinforcing Carrie’s commitment to protecting workers’ health and giving her a clear sense of direction.

Motivated by her work at the CDC, Layton then pursued her Master of Public Health at Emory University, aiming to build on the foundations from her undergraduate studies and internship experiences.

She found another influential role on Anheuser-Busch’s environmental team applying EHS principles to real-world operations, including monitoring air quality, managing waste and ensuring compliance.

“That role really solidified I was on the right track,” Layton said.

Through each role change, Layton has seen her career progress and build a new depth of skill. And every time, she draws on lessons from the role before; analytical methods from her bachelor’s degree, risk-management strategies from her time at Emory and leadership insights from internships and early career roles.

“Learning how to find the answer—that’s the bigger part of it,” Layton said. “We’re not encyclopedias, so we don’t know everything. But if you know how to find the answer, that’s half the battle.”

Now, in her role at PepsiCo, Layton is helping others build up their career. Being a director, and therefore managing EHS managers, is a different job than her past roles—but it’s also infinitely rewarding.

“I love seeing my team succeed. It’s not about me, it’s about providing my team the opportunities to shine, support in their roles and progress in their job” Layton said.

Their effectiveness is already paying off, Layton added. A challenge in the environment health and safety field is not only monitoring safety protocols and best practices but communicating them in a way that encourages others to make a difference in their lives and teams.

“In EHS, we’re here to do and support, and in the business world, not everyone realizes what our pocket of the company does,” she said. “So, it’s our job to show our worth, what we can do to help them reach their goal. Because no matter what another department does, they’re not going to be successful if their folks aren’t safe.”

By Erica Techo