Hi there! My name is Naomi Zaldaña and I am a junior majoring in civil engineering at Cal State University, Los Angeles.
My passion for engineering started when I was in high school. Despite it being a STEM school, I actually had little interest in engineering. In my second year, my brother convinced me to take the Intro to Engineering course my school offered and simply quit after a semester if I didn’t find it interesting. I agreed and, as it turns out, I feel in love CAD and manufacturing engineering. Another thing that impulsed me to continue taking the posterior courses was the lack of female students. I wanted to change that. In my senior year, I became president of GEARS (girls in engineering and robotics), and advocate for women in STEM.
After high school, I became interested in civil engineering and opted to make it my choice of major. Currently, I am a student worker for the city of Los Angeles, in the department of Public Works (specifically, in the Infrastructure Protection Division of the Bureau of Streetlighting). I love my job and I’d love to become division manager one day, either in this department or another!
In the meantime, I’m excited to create technical documents for iFixit. My family is big on repairing utility items so this is an movement that has my support.
Skills:
- Advanced mathematics (calculus, differential equations)
- Computer Aided Design (CAD)
- Computer Aided Programming and Manufacturing (CAM)
- MATLAB
- Microsoft Office and Google Docs/Sheets
- Python and C# Programming
- Strong written and verbal communication
Projects/accomplishments:
- Designed and manufactured several aerospace aluminum parts using a CNC Mill
- Creation of a restaurant menu using C# programming for my high school senior project
Groups/memberships:
- GEARS
- Hispanic National Honor Society
Accolades:
* 3 NIMS (National Institute for Metalworking Skills) certifications
- Bilingual certification
- Gene Haas Foundation Award
Hobbies:
- Reading
- Star Wars/Marvel
- Craft-making
- Religious community service