The “Her Stories: Adventures in STEM” blog series is a collection of stories about 20 women in science and engineering fields, written by members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Pre-College Engagement and Support (PCES) Committee.
These inspiring women have experienced a variety of life experiences and career paths, and these stories and accompanying artwork help to capture the vast diversity of our featured scientists and engineers.
We hope this series will show you how exciting engineering and science can be and help you realize that anyone can choose to become a scientist or an engineer.
Story by Leah Baker
Flipping the pages of a brightly colored book, seven-year-old Mariel Cisneros imagined herself building the rockets the astronauts in her book flew in.
Mariel, an immigrant from Mexico City, grew up in Los Angeles and was bullied for her inability to speak English at school. Mariel found her love for science through reading.
Despite her aspirations to become a scientist at a young age, Mariel was told that girls like her didn’t become scientists or engineers. She put herself through college and became the first in her family to graduate.
Today, Mariel is a senior program manager, responsible for digital systems engineering at an internationally known aerospace company. Mariel focuses on developing new military technology, ranging from new airplanes, new bombs, and even the systems that help direct the toughest of future battles! It’s a big job, but her dreams were always big and ever-growing.
As a student, she had several teachers who recognized her passion for all things science and pushed her toward it. If you couldn’t find Mariel, she was most likely tucked away with a book.
After 6th grade, she had the opportunity to attend a STEM magnet program. Her teacher took notice of her knack for science and took extra time to work one-on-one with her in the afternoons. Mariel knew she was going to build rockets. One day, she would be in the control room helping others get to space.
As a high schooler, she found herself surrounded by students like herself in an all-STEM high school. Within her 100-person class, she found others with a passion for math, physics, and science. Their shared ambition helped drive Mariel and her peers toward success.
Upon reflection, she sees how many hours it takes for parents to support STEM-focused kids. She says, “I’m very thankful for what my parents did to make a living.”
As the oldest child, Mariel’s responsibility was to take care of her younger sister, but her parents also enabled her to chase science. Her dad worked three jobs, while her mom worked nights. Coming out of high school, Mariel earned a full scholarship to the University of California, Irvine, saying, “It was that (UC Irvine) or no college.”
Her early college journey wasn’t straightforward; she started out studying aerospace, but didn’t like the mechanical nature of the subject. Mariel transitioned schools to California State University, Long Beach, and she changed her major to electrical engineering.
While working toward her degree, Mariel worked in the real world as well. She was just 16 when she started her first internship in an electromagnetic compatibility lab. After two years at college, the aerospace company she worked for swooped in to help pay for her degree. Meaning, she was working full time and going to school full time!
Saying Mariel worked hard in school is an understatement. When discussing her hardest college course, she spoke about Calculus II and shared, “I had to take it three times.” Initially, she felt that course might stand in her way, but her persistence prevailed. She passed the fourth time. She couldn’t imagine not being an engineer.
It took her six years to finish school, but the experience made her tougher than ever. Mariel has faced many challenges throughout her career, including imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is when you think you’re not as capable as others in your group. Despite being top of her classes, Mariel, often the only woman of color in a room, felt she was not a worthy engineer.
Mariel has come a long way in her career, and although she continues to be “the only,” she has learned that many people care what she has to say. It is these experiences that motivate her to tell her story and pave a better path for girls today.
Mariel isn’t one to stop when things get tough. Her main advice for readers and young people is, “Don’t give up.” She also wants to emphasize that being good at math is not a requirement to be an engineer. It’s all about being curious and chasing what you want.
Know a pre-college kid interested in STEM? Join SWENext, the Society’s free program that allows students ages 5 through 18 to join the SWE engineering and technology community.
SWENexters enjoy numerous opportunities throughout the year to learn, network, and connect with peers, role models, and industry professionals. Plus, this diverse, welcoming, pre-college STEM community provides a safe place where kids can feel seen, heard, and validated. SWENext is open to all genders.
