Ammara Essa

I'm currently a member of the Headquarters Network Performance team at Verizon. My job involves working with new technology, devices, cool network features and applying Data Science / Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning techniques to improve network performance.

I chose engineering because I've always liked to really understand how things fundamentally work. I love the way the rigorous theoretical and practical coursework helped me develop the critical thinking skills to break down complex problems into smaller pieces, enabling me to better understand each element.

I completed my Bachelors in Electronics Engineering from National University of Sciences and Technology in Karachi, Pakistan. I also have an Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Masters in Information and Data Science from University of California, Berkeley

I spend a lot of my day at work analyzing network data, which I in turn use to develop and execute plans to improve customer experience. 

My favorite part about engineering is that it is data driven. I also love seeing how incredibly complex system come together. Just knowing the number of calculations and operations that take place in the split second you dial your phone is absolutely mind blowing.

The proudest moment for me would be graduating with my Bachelors in Electronics Engineering in Pakistan. I was the first girl in my family to go to college and with the elders in my family being rather conservative, they did not really like the idea of me pursuing a degree in the male dominated field of engineering. Seeing my father cheer for me during my commencement ceremony is a happy memory that will stay with me forever.

I have been fortunate to have some amazing teachers and mentors who have encouraged and guided me throughout my STEM career. Some of my real (and fictitious) STEM heroes include Richard Feynman, Stephan Hawking, Nergis Mavalvala (known for her work on the detection of gravitational waves) and Tony Stark :D 

Oh where to start! First of all, don't be daunted by a STEM career. Even if something feels incomprehensible at first, if you allow yourself enough time to thoroughly go through the material, I promise it will make sense. And that feeling of having conquered that pesky equation or piece of code is extremely gratifying and frankly speaking pretty amazing! As much of a cliché as this sounds, another thing that I have come to embrace not so long ago myself is to be yourself. There is no one type of engineer. You don't have to lose your personality, empathy or sense of style. You wanna rock heels and red lipstick, go for it! Maybe just keep a spare pair of sneakers in case you have to do some field work (I once tested the wireless system at a football stadium in heels and it was definitely not fun hahaha) I found that as a young woman in engineering, I felt like I had to change myself to "fit in". But as one of my mentors showed me with her own example, that is not the case. Another reason why representation and diversity matter so much. And why we need more awesome women like you to take the plunge into the work of STEM!

During my leisure time, I like to cook at home or try out new restaurants. I also try to read at least 20 mins each night (my favorite book is Shantaram) and have spent an inordinate amount of money of Lego sets, my favorite being the International Space Station. I also like annoying my two cats Nimbus and Firebolt (big Harry Potter fan here if you can't tell!) as payback for them knocking over everything off my table. Lastly, I love going to concerts and would like nothing more than to be able to watch Florence and the Machine perform at the Hollywood Bowl once more!