Meet Zenia Garcia - Structural and Mechanical Design Engineer at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Photo Credit: Zenia Garcia

I meet Zenia on a work trip in El Paso, TX, during a site visit at the University of Texas - El Paso. Go Miners! Zenia was one of the few females in the engineering programs at the university. The first time I heard her speak was during a presentation she was working on for her thesis. Let me tell you this, the girl knows her stuff! Though I was thoroughly confused during the presentation, nonetheless, it was a great presentation. I know Zenia will make great strides in the world of engineering and has a great future ahead of her. I also know her fiance, another Miner, who I had the opportunity to place on an internship at Johnson Space Center. Read about Zenia below!

1. Name - Zenia Garcia

 2. City and State - El Paso, TX

3. What is your educational background? (Include colleges/universities and degrees attained)

The University of Texa at El Paso/ B.S, M.S Mechanical Engineering

 

4. What types of courses does your degree require? (If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificates)

Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Dynamics, Mechanics of Materials, Material Science, Engineering Economy, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Vibration, Controls, Mechanical Design etc.

5. What were the most challenging classes you took and how did you overcome those challenges? (If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificate classes taken)

The biggest challenge involved in my course work was the introductory level courses because they was always challenging to learn a completely new concept. The best way to overcome this challenge, for me, was finding more people to work with. Having a study group was always very important to me during my undergraduate and graduate studies in engineering. Having everyone’s individual understanding of the course work and then putting it all together, not only helps understand the overall concept better, but it provides diverse views on the topic. This is important because in the world of engineering there is never just one way to get to the same conclusion, so understanding more than one method to come to the same conclusion, in my opinion, makes a better engineer.

6. Did you complete any internships/co-ops during school? If so, where did you intern or co-op? (If you didn’t complete any, put “NA”)

Internship with NASA MSFC: Summer 2008 & 2009
Co-op with NASA MSFC: Summer 2010, 2011, & 2012

Photo Credit: Zenia Garcia

7. What company do you currently work for?

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

8. What is your job title?

Structural and Mechanical Design Engineer

9. What are your day to day tasks?

Some of my day to day tasks include 3D modeling, drafting, analysis, tolerance stack up and some involvement in the manufacturing process.

10. Do you work independently or in a team environment? Which do you prefer?
I work both independently and with a team. I personally like to work in teams, because I think more can get done, more efficiently this way.

11. What type of skill sets are needed for this job?
Good communication, teamwork, engineering fundamentals, being open minded and having creativity.

12. Did you have a mentor? If so, what was the most important lesson he/she taught you?

I have had many mentors throughout my studies, ranging from my fellow researchers at my university, to professors, and professionals at NASA. Some of the most valuable lessons I learned from everyone are: never give up, it is ok to be wrong, it is ok not to know the answer to something and to believe in oneself.

13. What do you believe to be your greatest strength?

My biggest strength is probably being able to keep an open mind and my willingness to continue to learn.

14. What do you believe to be your greatest weakness?

My weakness is probably my over analytical mind set. I like to look at every possible scenario and this can sometimes over complicates a simple problem. It’s important for me to remind myself that being practical is sometimes the best way to go.

15. What are some of your accomplishments? What accomplishment are you the most proud of?

My biggest accomplishment has been, to be able to stay focused on what I wanted to do and to have challenged the odds in order to be where I am today.

16. What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?

Rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding, reading

17. What did you want to be when you were a child?

As a child I wanted to be a professional Ice skater.

18. If you could switch professions with someone else for a day, what would it be and why?

I would switch professions with a grade school teacher. Our technological future is dependent on today’s education system, as well as on what we as professional in the math and science fields do to outreach to the kids of today’s world.

19. What advice would you give girls wanting to go into your field?

It is not easy to be a girl in my field, as a minority, it is always necessary to prove yourself to others, which in the end is a good way to keep you on your toes. Do not be discouraged by the challenges the field of engineering can bring, but welcome an opportunity to overcome them. Lastly, don’t let anyone ever tell you that you are not cut out for the job. With hard work and persistence, you are capable of accomplishing anything you set your mind to. Many say girls are stubborn creatures, who said that was a bad thing?