I attended Bell High School in the City of Bell. I played Varsity volleyball for 3 years and graduated Salutatorian of my class. In high school, I realized that I had a natural knack for math. My plan was to go to college and become a math teacher; however that changed when my brother (an electrical engineer) influenced me to go into engineering. After some research, I decided to attend Cal Poly Pomona and major in Civil Engineering with an emphasis on Land Surveying.
When I started college, I quickly realized that despite the fact that I was a good student in high school, I was NOT ready for college. Academically, my high school was well below many of my colleagues high schools. I struggled through college, at times feeling like I should quit. Civil engineering has a history of being male-dominated. Many male students didn’t want to work with me (in group settings) because I was a female. That was one of the motivating factors in completing my undergraduate work. As a college student, I volunteered at the Disabled Student Center. I often read books onto tapes and took notes for students in their classrooms. It was very fulfilling to be able to help those with learning disabilities excel in their academia. I was one of three women to receive my Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering-Surveying Engineering in 2002 and was in the top 10% of my class. The land surveying option was not commonly pursued by women (still is not). It is something I worked extremely hard for and am very proud of.
In 2007, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 cervical cancer. It was the most difficult time of my life. Amidst a terrible divorce and going through treatment, I found myself in a very dark time in my life. At the time, I was very confused about why all these things were happening. However, with extensive counseling and strong will-power I overcame all of my struggles. I learned a lot about myself and I learned just how simple life can be. It was huge turning point in my life both physically and emotionally.
I have worked as a land surveyor for the past 11 years, with three different companies. I currently work for Towill, Inc., in the City of Rancho Cucamonga. I have worked on a variety of different projects that improve our communities in some way shape or form. Most of my post-graduate work has been in the transportation realm. Projects that I have worked on include freeway inter changes, freeway widenings, housing developments and aeronautical surveys, to name a few. It is very fulfilling to see how my work contributes to the improvement of our communities.
I currently live in Rancho Cucamonga and have lived in this area for 9 years. I am happily married to my husband, Jose and together we have two beautiful daughters Diah Lola, 3 years old and Layla Rose, 2 years old. My family is of utmost importance. They are my inspiration and my whole life.