Victoria Chavez-HerreraĢż
Major: Mechanical Engineering ā17 Position: Continuous Improvement Engineer at Western Filament Inc.
Israel Miles
Victoria Chavez-Herrera, Mechanical Engineering ā17,Ģżis a Continuous Improvement Engineer at Western Filament Inc. Herrera began work immediately after graduating, continuing to learn while taking on multiple roles. āI switched jobs two years after graduating,ā said Herrera. āI was working as an engineering technician in the ceramics industry. After a company lay off, I ventured into textiles and continuous improvement. I like being a continuous learner so that I can stay versatile and potentially jump into any role.āĢż
Despite having earned her degree, Herrera still faces some discrimination in the work force. āI honestly struggle with hiring managers and fellow engineers taking me seriously,ā said Herrera. āAs a female, I walk into a machine shop and am immediately type-casted as being incapable of running any machine. I am a trained machinist. Only when I am given the opportunity am I able to prove otherwise but I need to get past that hurdle of getting the opportunity.ā
Herrera always knew she wanted to be an engineer, even though she didnāt know what her role would exactly look like. āI wanted to be an engineer,ā said Herrera. āIĢżwas unsure entirely what that meant but I was wanting to design, build things, program things, and solve problems. What was important was that engineering label. I struggled with finding fulfillment in Engineering Technician roles that I have had in the past. My mindset has changed in that my title doesnāt define my fulfillment. As long as I am utilizing the knowledge that I learned then I am happy.ā
Upon entering the workforce, Herrera learned to apply directly the skills she obtained at CU to her professional career. āI have the set of knowledge I need to tackle every day and be successful,ā Herrera said. āThe best skill I learned in school was to be adaptable, to be open-minded, and to be a good learner. That is the utmost skill.ā
Herrera advises students to speak upĢżfor themselves and to realize that time is on their side. āIt will take time to find your niche, or that job that really fulfills you,ā said Herrera. āWhat is important is that you have the skills and the knowledge to fully explore all your options. Go into the world with an open mind, have confidence in your abilities and know that it is OK to admit when a career choice isnāt a good fit.ā
Katie McQuie
Majors: Environmental & Chemical Engineering ā18 Position: Business Tech Analyst at Deloitte Consulting
Gabe Rodriguez
Katie McQuie, Environmental and Chemical Engineering ā18,Ģżworks as a Business Technology Analyst at Deloitte Consulting. Every Monday to Thursday, McQuie travels to Sacramento, Calif. to help company clients utilize cloud technology; and every Friday she is back working in Colorado. After graduating in December 2018, McQuie decided to participate in a study abroad program in Berlin, Germany. āIt was a great opportunity to learn about a different culture and pick up some German along the way!ā McQuie explained. She also got the chance to visit Spain and other European countries before starting her career with Deloitte.
As an engineering major, McQuie saidĢżother engineering majors shouldnāt be afraid to pursue a non-traditional engineering position. āItās easy to only focus on applying to positions with āengineerā in the title,āā McQuie said. āThere are so many career paths you can pursue, and there are lots of jobs that value a technical background [that are not] strictly engineering. Earning an engineering degree taught me to problem solve and have a strong work ethic. The ability to quickly learn a new concept or to think outside the box is invaluable!ā McQuie also said she was initially nervous about her new position since she had less experience than her teammates, but she soon realized she had many valuable skills to offer and felt confident at work.
Erika Polhamus
Major: Aerospace Engineering ā19 Position: Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin Space
Gabe Rodriguez
Erika Polhamus, Aerospace Engineering ā19,Ģżworks in Systems Engineering ASC at Lockheed Martin Space after having interned there for the previous two summers. Polhamus is a member of a smaller team, where she works on radio frequency programs and helps to design new antennas for satellites in space.Ģż
Though Polhamus feels she would have been more prepared for this position with an Electrical Engineering degree, she said any engineering degree would have helped her because of the focus on learning and problem-solving. āI was taught how to learn,Ģżwhat questions to ask, how to understand if a piece of info isnāt important ā¦ and I attest that to my degree,ā Polhamus said.Ģż
Polhamus has long been passionate about the aerospace industry and human space flight, and she was excited at the opportunity to work for a leading aerospace company. In the future, she said she would love to get the opportunity to work and train astronauts or design EVA suits. āFor now though, I find my job challenging intellectually and enjoy its rigor!ā she said. āI found a job that I find interesting, with a team of people I really likeāthat is superĢżimportantāat a company with a great work life balance.āĢż
For future engineering graduates, Polhamus said, āDonāt expect your first job to be the ultimate dream job. I still donāt know what my dream job is, but donāt be afraid to dip your toe in the water first.ā