LEED Green Associate
Being born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where seismic activity is prominent, the opportunity to engineer structures that can withstand earthquakes has always been intriguing. As the youngest child of six children born to Mexican immigrants, I am humbled to say that I am the first in my family to graduate from a university and have pursued a graduate degree in civil engineering. I received my bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from California State University, Fullerton, and my master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati (UC).
During my undergraduate, I filled multiple leadership roles such as Captain of the Heavy Civil Team of Associated General Contractors and Marshall Officer of Chi Epsilon. During graduate school, I took the initiative to establish UC’s first Structural Engineering Institute Graduate Student Chapter (UC SEI GSC) and served as president. Through UC SEI GSC, I had the opportunity to meet many inspiring structural engineers, including some of my current co-workers, as well as help UC structural engineering students become exposed to the chance to connect with professional engineers.
During studying and internships, I found my passion in engineering, specifically in earthquake resistant designs. My internships in construction directed me into wanting to know more about the structural aspect of engineering versus construction. Once I took the structural dynamics class in my undergraduate, I knew that I wanted to pursue structural engineering.
Overall, I consider myself to be a strong, self-driven, independent woman seeking opportunities that will inspire me and help me continue to grow. I have always been up to a challenge and become even more interested when I am told that I cannot accomplish or obtain something I want. I take my disappointments as a challenge and an opportunity to work harder and expand my knowledge. I do not wait for encouragement; I simply tell myself that I am capable and set myself to achieve it. It is this drive that brings me here. Taking this next step in my life in becoming a member of the THP familia, I am confident that I will become the structural engineer that I am set to be.
Aside from my career, I love my free time, which usually involves long walks and runs with my dog Honey, exploring downtown Cincinnati (which is where I have lived since moving to Ohio), spending time at my favorite – Urbana Café on the weekends (if you haven’t gone yet, it’s A MUST!), lifting weights, getting sun (wherever the bipolar weather in Cincy allows it), playing with my cameras, spending time with my good friends, visiting my family in Los Angeles, and traveling around the world. I am happy to be part of the THP Limited familia!