Rayana Lopez

I attribute my success to my willingness to stay involved. A lot of people don't realize that staying involved doesn't feel needed, but being involved in my engineering team projects, the leadership roles I've had, the mentoring I've gotten to do during my peer mentor work, and my research have all helped me grow personally and career-wise. A big part of my growth has come from stepping out of my comfort zone with the help of my friends and family. Whether it's activities board, student government, working on engineering projects, or my research experience at Sandia or my internships in Kingsville and New Mexico, staying involved has taught me how to manage the challenges I've been facing throughout life, how to communicate with others, and how to stay determined during stressful situations. I also think my success comes from helping others. You know how when you tutor someone, you're basically teaching yourself while you're tutoring them? With all that mentoring, collaborating, and being active on campus, I'm learning myself at the same time. These are skills that I know will help me in my future career and in life.

The best piece of advice I've ever received came from my grandmother, who told me to believe that I belong in the field. She's always told me that my background, my creativity, and my mission can always bring something unique to engineering, and that can always inspire others and myself. She always says that if I were not meant to be here, I wouldn't be here. I have a little sticky note on my computer that says 'believe that you belong in the field,' and that's probably what pushed me into going into senior year, my master's, and hopefully my doctorate one day. Another piece of advice that has stuck with me came from my high school principal about four years ago. He said that college can be confusing and scary, but finding people who support and encourage you always means a difference, and these people can make a huge difference when things are stressful or challenging. He told me to just believe in myself and believe in others, and that has stuck with me ever since.

One piece of advice I would give to another woman trying to break into engineering is not to let intimidation stop you from taking opportunities. I won't lie, when I first stepped into an engineering classroom or a robotics classroom, it was overwhelming because engineering is a male-dominated field. But you can't let that type of situation intimidate you, because you're able to do it if you have the confidence to. And confidence does grow with experience. Don't be afraid to ask questions, join projects, go up to someone and say 'hey, can I join your team?' or 'do you have any idea of how to approach this?' Ask professors, apply to internships. Don't be afraid to feel nervous at first, because if no one ever told you that they felt nervous even taking a leadership role, they're lying. Even now, I'm so nervous to even do some stuff. It's okay to ask for help because when you ask someone for help, you're letting that stress take off because now you can trust in someone and they can help you. I would also say to stay involved outside of class. For mechanical engineering, it gets stressful, I get tired, I have to pull all-nighters, but with my organizations and the opportunities I've had abroad or applying to internships and networking from the leadership roles, it's actually opened so many doors and helped me build confidence and connections. Most importantly, believe that you belong in the field. Your background, your creativity, and your mission can always bring something unique to engineering, and that can inspire others and yourself. You are going to be here. If you were not meant to be here, you wouldn't be here.

The biggest challenge in my field currently for engineering is how quickly technology and the engineering tools we use are evolving. Mechanical engineering is no longer just about traditional manufacturing. Now it revolves around AI, simulations, robotics, and advanced manufacturing. As engineers, we're expected to constantly adapt and continue learning all these new technologies throughout our careers. Another major challenge is balancing technical knowledge with real-world problem solving and communication. You can have great technical skills, but as my professor says, never blame your teammates because as engineers, we always need to work in teams. You can't just do it by yourself. We have to manage different projects, communicate effectively, and design solutions that are practical, safe, and cost-effective, especially with our economy shifting sometimes. Personally, one of my challenges as a student and in internships is gaining confidence in new environments. When I first went to my first internship, I was like 'wow, these people are so professional, what am I even doing here? I am from San Benito, I don't know how to talk to these people.' But eventually I realized it's fine, I'm doing great, I can just be myself. Those environments can feel competitive or intimidating, but that's why hands-on projects, being in organizations, and leadership are so valuable because they build your ability and confidence. Once you have confidence, you can do anything.

In my personal life, I would say meaningful relationships and balance are most important. I have a really small group of friends - only my friend Kaina, Diana, Monsie, and my friend Faith. Three people from college and one from high school going into my college year. Having them with a busy schedule is very important because I take time for them and my family. They keep me motivated and grounded. I also have a twin sister, and we're very connected in different ways from other people, so seeing her always brings me joy. Having that strong support system and staying connected with them helps me stay focused and positive during stressful times. For my work life and personal life, integrity, growth, and teamwork are crucial. I believe in working hard, being dependable, and always putting effort into what I try to do because that's what's going to make it grow into what it's supposed to be. Growth is very important to me because it allows me to keep learning new skills, gaining experience, and improving myself professionally and personally. I used to be a student athlete in golf, and though I had to step back, I'm still the team manager. Through that experience and my engineering projects, I've learned that success usually comes from trusting and supporting the people around you. If you don't have a good foundation, it's going to fall apart.