First-Generation Latina Engineer Finds Her Way

Hello from Houston, Texas! At the 2022 AEMP Connect Conference in San Antonio, I had the pleasure of meeting MOXY Co-Founder Natasha Ozybko, who invited me to discuss my journey as a first-generation Latina engineer.

My parents immigrated from Mexico to California in search of better opportunities. Two years later, they had me, and thus began my journey. From a young age, numbers just made sense to me. In the sixth grade, my teacher noticed my affinity for math and suggested I be an accountant. Being first generation, I didn’t know about the plethora of careers one could have that involved mathematics. I clung to the idea of being an accountant until I got to high school, where I actually researched what an accountant did. In high school, I began participating in engineering programs such as the JPL Invention Challenge and Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA).

I started getting exposed to engineers and engineering students at UCLA. Through these programs I was able to ask about different engineering fields and what they each entailed. After some research, I realized civil engineering was the perfect fit for me.

I had been fascinated by buildings and their constructability, as downtown LA had quite a few project sites happening at the time. I was keen on the idea of being part of a team that brought a project to life while also improving the city and its residents’ lives.

Although I love Los Angeles, when it came to applying for universities, I needed a change of scenery. With my friends alongside me, we embarked on the journey of college applications. We proofread each other’s essays, studied for the SAT, and triple checked we met the requirements for each application. We did not have the luxury of private SAT or ACT tutors like some of our high school peers.

Although the college admissions process was foreign to my parents, they never questioned whenever I asked them to take me to FAFSA or college admission workshops and interviews. They were a bit surprised when I decided to move across the country to Baltimore. But how could I turn down a full ride to a top tier university?

My time at Hopkins was bittersweet. Freshman year, the academic rigor and culture shock took a toll on my mental health, which led me to academic probation.

I felt like a failure, but I was fortunate enough to have an academic advisor who encouraged me to keep going and informed me that failing a course at Hopkins isn’t rare. My coursework continued to be challenging but I had incredible friends that would support me whenever needed. The friends I made and organizations I was involved in enriched my experience at Hopkins.

Through my involvement in the Society of Hispanic Professionals (SHPE), I connected with Bechtel at the SHPE National Convention my senior year. As a senior, I didn’t know what avenue I wanted to take with my civil engineering degree. My coursework was heavy on design, but I didn’t find excitement in it anymore. I decided to apply for field engineering positions to explore the construction world. I was fortunate enough to land an offer from Bechtel and accepted without knowing where I would be placed.

I am now in Houston working for Bechtel Equipment Operations as a Construction Applications Engineer, researching technologies for a more sustainable equipment fleet. High-school Isabel would have never imagined she would be in Texas working on sustainability practices in construction! It is hard for me even now to say what my career will look like in the next five years. But I know that the next step for me will be to get my boots dirty and work on a project site.

About the Author: Isabel Siordia is a Construction Applications Engineer at Bechtel Equipment Operations. She joined Bechtel in August 2020 after graduating from The Johns Hopkins University, where she earned her B.S. in Civil Engineering.