Why Engineering? For a long time I was not sure what I wanted to do when I grew up. As a kid I was naturally curious and loved solving problems. In high school I heard an astronaut speak on a radio program and was inspired by their excitement about their experiences. Being the first in my family to go to college, I did not have any natural role models to seek help and guidance from. I asked several of my teachers and they encouraged me to pursue engineering. I was not sure what to expect, but after my freshman year at Cal Poly, I knew I picked the right field of study.
School Days I received my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. I received my Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering (focused on spacecraft systems design) from Stanford University.
Proud Moments I had the opportunity to work in Mission Control for the launch of a weather satellite.
Challenges Mid way through my career I changed jobs and not only moved across country, but I moved into a lead technical role in a new industry (moved from Space Systems into the Avionics industry). Coming into a role as a Technical Project Manager for an Avionics program, I faced the challenge in climbing through the "new to me" product technology learning curve. Through this experience, I learned how powerful and beneficial it is to build your network. You don't need to have all the answers yourself, but you need to know how to get the right answers quickly and effectively.
My Family All three of my sons have followed my lead in choosing engineering for their careers. I feel extremely fortunate as I currently get the opportunity to see them frequently as they all work at Collins Aerospace.