Michelle becomes an engineer

Transcript

Transcript

Drew Gamboa

And so, the 3-2 program, like two years in Saint Louis, right?

Michelle Molina

Yeah. I went to Washington University in Saint Louis. Yeah.

Drew Gamboa

How was that? How was that experience?

Michelle Molina

During that time, I just didn't feel like I was fit to be an engineer. I do feel that sometimes even now. Of course, the imposter syndrome comes up, but in senior year, because I would see other people, you know, you always compare yourself with other people. I always see some people like, “Oh they would get a job. I still don't have a job.” I talked to my mom and advisors. They would say, “Don't be so hard on yourself. You will eventually get a job. You know you're going to graduate.” I had research on my resume as well, because I did research for a professor in Saint Louis during my summers. I didn't have any internship in the back of my pocket, so I think that's what scared me the most. I was very scared that, like, “Okay. Other people have internships. I don’t have anything to show.” My grades were good enough. I definitely struggled with it. And then at one point, I just said, “You know what? I should just finish school, and then I'll worry about work.” At one time, I did make that decision. I was like, “If the worst comes to worst, I'm done here, and then, I move to Tri-Cities. There, with the comfort of my house, in the comfort of my family. I'll just apply for jobs.” My mom is not going to be like, “Get the heck out of here.” My mom was like, “No, you have to come back home. I miss you.” That's how it was. She was like, “You have to come back.” That's what happened. I just didn't have a job by the time I graduated. I moved back here in the summer of 2018. I live here till now, but I was applying for two months in the summertime. I got the job in Hanford in WTCC, which is a Waste Treatment and Completion Company, essentially the vit-plant, WTP. That's how I ended up here, again.

Description

Michelle talks about becoming an engineer in an interview with Drew Gamboa on October 18, 2024.

Date Created

02/04/2025

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