From an early interest in math and science to classes in community college to SPU’s engineering program, Yisel Navarro always had a pretty good idea of her path in life. She just didn’t know how much of an influence her SPU professors would have on her future outlook.
“Professor Melani Plett constantly tried to catch up with me to see how I was doing,” she explains, “or if there was anything she could help with when I was struggling. She arranged women engineering meet-ups to allow us to get to know one another. She became basically a mother to all of the women engineers of my class. I think someone like this is essential in such a male-dominated field, to encourage women to thrive.”
The example was clearly not lost on this electrical engineering major. Because while she obviously hopes to find a good engineering job, she has also discovered that there’s much more to life than just her own success. Now she also wants to help inspire other women and minorities to find their way into STEM-related majors. And that desire has become a driving force in her budding engineering career.
“I know there are many barriers that keep us from accomplishing our dreams,” she says, “but I would like to let others in my same situation know that if I could do it, so can they.”