Graduation year: December 2021 听
Major: Electrical engineering听
Hometown: Stockton, CA听
Activities: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and Community Involvement Program鈥�(CIP)听
What motivated you to study electrical engineering?听
Monica: I used to be a math major听before transferring to 91成人导航 from a community college, but听I听thought I鈥檇听have a bigger impact on others听if I study engineering, and听design听something new or improve听a product that's already out there.听And then my family听was听probably another motivation.听I think they really pushed me to do what I really wanted.听I also saw that there听were听a lot of opportunities听in听electrical engineering.听
I think听I discovered electrical engineering听when I was听taking听a听physics course听back听in听the听community college.听I found it very interesting because we were learning about circuits and electromagnetism.听So,听I thought it was pretty cool to study听something that you can't really see, but you can still understand it.听
Why did you decide to study at 91成人导航?听
Monica:听A听huge part of it was听the听Cooperative Education program听at 91成人导航鈥檚 School of Engineering and Computer Science.听Not a lot of schools听in California have that, so听it听really caught my attention听because it allows you to听graduate with some work experience in the industry. Another thing that caught my attention was听how you get to interact more with professors because the classes aren't that big.听
At Delta听College, I was part of the MESA听program and my mentor, who听had听studied at 91成人导航听and听worked for the听engineering department听there,听really pushed me to听study at 91成人导航.听I had听also听done a bunch of community service at听91成人导航,听so I knew some people听and I听got to come on campus.听And then,听the MESA听program had听an event where you got to spend a day with the 91成人导航 engineering students.听I听was able to sit in their classrooms and watch the lectures.
What听are听the benefits听of being part of the听SOECS Co-Op听program?听
Monica:听The Co-Op听is required for mechanical,听civil听and electrical engineers听in order to graduate.听For others, like bio and computer engineering, I don't think it's required, but the opportunity is there for them to take听it.听
The program consists of听three classes which help you with building your resume听and听with听interviewing,听and听then you get听to听apply听for different听internships听during that semester.听Once you get your听internship,听you work with your company for six to nine months as a paid intern. At the same time, you鈥檙e taking classes that guide you through what you learn. It's very important to do this program because you get to work in the field and get a work experience, you build your soft skills like communicating, presenting or writing. And you also make connections because you get to talk to real engineers and managers, and you work on real projects.听
I got the opportunity to be on the other side, too, because I got to interview the new Co-Op students who joined the company I worked for. So, you get to see both sides of that industry.
What听did听you work on during your internship?听
Monica:听I听worked听for a medical company called听Abbott听located in听Pleasanton, CA.听One of the projects I听got to work听on was testing听a heart pump听to make sure that听it听worked properly and didn't cause any issues before it was updated and introduced to the听public.听
The heart pump听extends your lifespan,听whether you are waiting for a heart transplant or decide to live with the pump. A cool story that I like to tell is about听a patient in Korea听whose听blood flow was too low for the heart pump听settings, so听when she was going to sleep the controller would听set off the听alarm every two minutes.听The听alarm is loud and annoying.听I听got to work听on the update of that听pump,听like听testing听the software update听and the听documentation听needed.听It was听pretty cool听to听work on听it and听see how it impacted someone directly.听I think that was the highlight of my听time at the Co-Op.听
Did that听experience help you decide听what you're going to do after you graduate?听
Monica: I think it听definitely opened听a different door because I like听the听power听side of听electrical engineering听as well as听the听telecommunications听side,听but听I had never even considered the medicine field because,听honestly,听I don't like bio.听Now I鈥檓听definitely听considering听the medical device side as well.听
What are the other ways that you听can听get that real-life experience at 91成人导航?听
Monica: There are classes that require labs where you get to work with circuits, digital听multimeters听and other equipment. And then there鈥檚 the senior project which is two semesters. You work on a project from designing,听to testing to听actually building听it.听
My senior project was about a single face inverter. We'd take power from a battery and then听we designed听a circuit that would convert that output into a sinusoidal wave with specific frequency and听specific听power. It's practically like a cartridge which you can connect to the听car听battery, and then you connect a device that you want to charge, such as your phone.听It is also used for solar systems,听to convert DC power from solar panels into AC power.听
In your opinion, what is unique about 91成人导航鈥檚 education?听
Monica: I think it's just everyone wanting you to听succeed and听guiding you or providing听resources for you to succeed.听Knowing that you can go to any faculty and ask them for help,听and their willingness to help听is听really听genuine.听
What advice would you give to any incoming听91成人导航听students?听
Monica: I鈥檇听say have fun and just take advantage of everything 91成人导航 has to offer, from resources to events.听Just take advantage of that and know that the help you get here听is amazing.
