Not every story at DSC Dredge (DSC) is about a dredge - some are simply about people making a powerful impact.

DSC is proud to recognize and celebrate one of its newest team members, Jenny Champagne, for achieving her PMP (Project Management Professional) certification. Jenny has been with DSC for six months as a Project Business Analyst and has brought her unique strength, motivation, and passion to the team. Her journey to earning this prestigious certification is a story of resilience, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to both personal and professional growth.
 
Overcoming Challenges, Inspiring Others
 Jenny’s path to certification was not without significant challenges. In recent years, she battled cancer and endured the physical and emotional toll that came with it. Diagnosed with a large tumor pressing against her spinal nerves, Jenny faced months of pain and uncertainty as she awaited surgery and biopsy results. Thankfully, her prognosis was favorable, and after five years of follow-up CT scans, she was declared cancer-free this past summer. In Jenny’s own words, “I earned two important certifications in 2024: remission and my PMP.”

Throughout this difficult time, Jenny remained a source of strength for her family, especially her daughter, who witnessed her mother’s perseverance. Jenny is motivated by her desire to model resilience and goal-setting for her eight-year-old daughter, ensuring that she understands the importance of perseverance and determination in overcoming life’s obstacles.
 
Applying Experience to Project Management
Jenny's journey has profoundly influenced her approach to project management at DSC. The PMP certification process reinforced her belief in the power of problem-solving frameworks, such as First Principles Thinking—a method of breaking problems down to their most basic truths to create innovative solutions. “First Principles Thinking is a mindset I plan to share with my colleagues here at DSC,” Jenny explains. “It helps us approach challenges with fresh perspectives, whether in project management or daily operations.”
Jenny’s passion for project management was shaped by her experiences on several challenging projects from 2020 to 2023. Notably, during one of her early assignments as a Project Manager, she lost two team members within six months of each other. The first, Adam, a veteran of the industry, left a lasting impression on Jenny. On his final day, he expressed pride in her leadership and made sure she knew the positive impact she had on his life. This emotional moment solidified Jenny’s commitment to the profession and drove her pursuit of the PMP certification. “His words continue to motivate me in my work today,” she shares.
 
Jenny’s success is not hers alone. She credits her husband, daughter, and mother for their unwavering support throughout her journey. “They all cried tears of excitement when I passed my PMP exam,” she recalls. The encouragement from her family and colleagues at DSC, as well as friends and former co-workers, was a constant source of motivation. Many of them kept up with her progress and shared in the joy of her success.
 
Achieving the PMP certification is both a personal and professional milestone for Jenny. “I am humbled to be part of a global network of talented professionals,” she says. “The PMP mindset embodies a gold standard approach to project management, and I’m honored to carry those letters behind my name.”
 
Looking ahead, Jenny hopes to inspire her colleagues at DSC to pursue their own professional certifications and engage with professional organizations. She has already reached out to PMI to get involved in volunteer work, particularly with youth initiatives, and plans to become more active in the local Baton Rouge PMI Chapter.
 
A Message of Motivation
Jenny encourages others facing challenges to take inventory of their lives and set goals that will add both personal and professional value. “You are only limited by your mindset,” she advises. “Write out your goals, keep them in sight, and take small steps daily to achieve them. I set my goals to fall due the day before my birthday—turning my celebrations into a reflection of personal growth.”
 
Her personal mantra, the Latin phrase "sine qua non," meaning "without which not," encapsulates her belief that great success is often born from great struggle. “For without this great struggle, I could not have experienced such great success,” Jenny reflects. "Moments of despair in life can become opportunities to create new stories of perseverance and achievement."

photo caption: Jenny Champagne and her family