Photo: Courtesy / Courtesy
I am a proud daughter of immigrant parents and a first generation college student. I am an Associate Mechanical Engineer II in the LADWP electrical system, primarily supporting the operations of the Power Control Center.
My primary roles are to support operations, research, evaluate, and perform cost benefit analysis to ensure LADWP provides the most reliable and affordable power to our 4 million customers. I work behind the scenes constantly analyzing the economics, solving logistical and business problems, and updating and implementing software applications that support the energy resource modeling of our power dispatch electrical grid operations.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, I think about how I ended up being an engineer, with a dream job, while being a wife and mother.
My parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico with my three older sisters to give us a better future. Growing up in an all-female household with five sisters, we never learned to divide chores by gender. My parents raised us with the strong knowledge that women could do anything, so I never considered my gender when I decided to study to be an engineer.
Although I was born here, I didn’t have access to many resources growing up, and frankly, I didn’t even know what engineering was until I came to California State University, Los Angeles, where I earned my Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
My curiosity in the various engineering disciplines was piqued after becoming involved with various student organizations, such as the Society of Women Engineers.
I didn’t know any engineers growing up. And, being the first in my family to attend college made my journey quite difficult, but not impossible. Today, only 8% of Hispanics are in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields and only 3% of these are women, even fewer are mothers in STEM.
As a Latina mom and engineer, I volunteer in the community to raise awareness that we belong within STEM. We have a lot to offer in the world of engineering. It should no longer be a rarity to be a female engineer, let alone a Latina engineer.
My career at LADWP allows me to fulfill my passion for engineering, while helping to serve my community. Water and energy are essential services that are often taken for granted. Being able to connect with my Latino community and help inform them how these services are made possible is something I really enjoy doing. Many have the misconception that engineers are just men who work in the field. However, engineering is very diverse.
Engineering is filled with endless opportunities, and I am very proud to have landed a career with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the largest utility in the country.
More than 2,000 engineers work in the field, design and operations areas to find solutions to critical and complex problems. Currently, LADWP is focused on phasing out coal and integrating renewable energy into the power system.
A primary challenge for me as an operations engineer is to help ensure that we continue to provide the most affordable and reliable power to our customers. Solving these types of challenges is personally rewarding.
Up to 50% of women in STEM leave the STEM field after the birth of their first child. Some women may find themselves in a situation where there is a lack of female representation and little support.
I have worked in both the private and public sectors and LADWP is hands down my top recommendation for women, especially working mothers.
As I am expecting my third child, a support company that offers flexibility for mothers is critical for us to remain in the workforce. I found this on LADWP. They continually work to ensure that we recruit, retain and promote more women.
In recent years, they have developed a LADWP Chapter for the Society of Women Engineers which helps recruit more female engineers into the Department. The Chapter, with the support of LADWP, also assists current employees with mentoring, networking opportunities, and fosters a culture that recognizes and respects all contributions.
I wish more companies would embrace paid parental leave, on-site childcare, childcare subsidies, flexible work hours, and policy changes that are truly inclusive and address the needs of women.
As LADWP continually works to empower women at work, I am proud to be part of the change that helps further advance these policies. Embracing them will attract more women to engineering fields, remove stigmas, and help retain more women in the engineering field.
This Women’s History Month, LADWP celebrates the contributions that women in the LADWP workforce make every day. From instrument mechanics and water treatment operators, to electrical engineering associates, systems analysts, engineers and more, each woman at LADWP uses their talents to serve our customers and deliver affordable, reliable water and energy to the City of Los Angels.