Congresswoman Luz Rivas (D-CA 29th) is the only Latina with a STEM degree to serve in Congress. She holds an electrical engineering degree from MIT and a master’s in education from Harvard. She was elected to serve in California’s 29th District and currently holds the title of the House Freshman Leadership Representative. She spoke with the SWE Public Policy Affinity Group about her experiences obtaining a degree in engineering, founding a nonprofit to encourage young girls to learn about STEM pathways, and now serving in public office.
Like many of us, Rivas shares that her interest in engineering began in the classroom. Her first introduction to engineering was her “elementary school teacher [who] taught her how to program” and encouraged her students to learn more about computer science. Continuing to foster that curiosity, Rivas took more STEM classes and eventually applied to study electrical engineering at MIT.
However, navigating her undergraduate studies was challenging in its own way.
“I went through each year thinking I was going to drop out,” she shared with us in a retelling of her college memories.
Similar to a sentiment that many women in engineering experience, she struggled with imposter syndrome and self-doubt. However, she was persistent and didn’t let that define her. She attended office hours and met goals for herself academically and externally. During her time at MIT, she worked two internships — one at Motorola and another doing research at Georgia Tech. She also expressed how building a strong support system while in college was essential to her success while being one of the few women of color in her major.
After graduating, Rivas continued to work in Chicago at Motorola, putting her engineering classwork into practice. It wasn’t until she visited her hometown in the San Fernando Valley and her old elementary school to volunteer in a mentorship program that she noticed the lack of STEM resources in her community.
“The classroom still looked the same as it was in the 80s. [The kids] did not know what an engineer was [and it’s] not a job most people just stumble into. A lot of young people didn’t even know this was an option for them,” she stated.
From this realization, she became determined to help inspire young students to pursue careers in STEM and engineering fields, especially for young women. Rivas set her sights on earning a master’s degree in science & technology education at Harvard University. She returned home and began to work with community organizations and local elected officials to improve STEM education.
With her newly founded passion for advocating for STEM education for girls, she created a nonprofit, DIY Girls, an organization that has the initiative to provide tools and resources for young girls to receive a hands-on approach to learning about STEM. DIY Girls began with a single classroom holding about 30 girls and now collaborates with over 17 different schools to provide after-school programs and summer programs across the Los Angeles area. She expressed her delight that many of the “girls that she started [the program] with are in college now studying STEM degrees from their involvement [in DIY Girls].”
Rivas attributes her advocacy and nonprofit work to what sparked her interest in public policy. She finds her inspiration from addressing the intersections between STEM, public policy, and education.
While serving in public office, she finds her STEM background to be a strength. Not many policymakers are well acquainted with science or engineering topics, making Rivas a popular choice in helping others better understand technical legislation like renewable energy or biotechnology. She also expressed how there are many skills that an engineering degree doesn’t necessarily prioritize, such as political science or policy communication, but can be developed through experience.
When serving in the California State Assembly before being elected to the House of Representatives, Rivas championed and passed resolutions that focused on advancing women in engineering, like ACR 130: Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. This legislation aligns significantly with the Society of Women Engineers, as our mission includes the advancement and empowerment of the next generation of women engineers.
For those interested in connecting your engineering background to shaping policy, Rivas highlighted that serving on the city council or school board could help you shape public office part-time while still advancing in your full-time careers as engineers. SWE hosts an annual Congressional visit for mission-centric public policy advocacy, as well as a Public Policy Affinity Group.
Thank you again to Congresswoman Luz Rivas for her time in joining us for this interview and her constant efforts to uplift women in STEM and engineering fields. We hope that reading her story inspires you all to see how your careers and studies can connect with and contribute to making change at any level!
If you have questions or want to connect with others who are interested in public policy, you can post in SWE’s Public Policy AG Facebook Group or contact the Public Policy AG Leads at publicpolicy.ag@swe.org. You can subscribe to the Public Policy AG’s email updates by logging into the member portal and scrolling to Communication Preferences. Stay tuned for communications on and sign-up for SWE’s Congressional Outreach Day in April!
