There is a phrase that I carry with me every step of the way in life on the path to leadership and success. Great achievements take time and effort, but they are never achieved without overcoming challenges. What this phrase means to me is that no matter what difficulties and challenges we may face today, they are the ones that strengthen us for tomorrow. My advice is to always keep going, because every obstacle you overcome in every challenge in your life makes you stronger. Never give up. No matter how far away the goal seems, keep going; you will get there faster than you think.

My name is Silvia Martinez Piche. I am 22 years old, and I am originally from El Salvador, Central America. I have dual nationality, Salvadoran and American. Not only that, but I am studying Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Aerospace Engineering. This is my fifth year at university. I started studying my first year at Old Dominion University in Fall 2020, when the pandemic started, and I will graduate in Spring 2025. Studying engineering has not been easy. It requires a lot of effort, dedication, performance, and not giving up so easily because during these five years I have been taught that, if this is what I want in life, I have to keep fighting until the end.

Finishing university with my degree is one of my biggest dreams. It’s exciting to think that this is my last year, and it’s incredible how time flies. I’ve managed to come so far in these last five years with challenges, sleepless nights, laughter, triumphs, joy, performance, sadness, and other mixed emotions, which makes this my career. Ending this chapter of my life makes me feel proud to be able to complete my profession. For this reason, I describe myself as a person who likes to excel in every challenge that life gives me.

I am still not sure where life will take me when I finish my degree after graduating, but I will always continue to fight for my short- and long-term dreams that I have set out to achieve in my life. My short-term dreams are to be able to look for a job in the area of ​​Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering and work for recognized companies. One of the reasons is to first gain experience and move up the ranks, achieving the goal of having more knowledge in my work area. My long-term dream is to work for NASA. Since I was little, I always dreamed of being part of this great company and working on large aerospace engineering projects. Before fulfilling this great dream, I have to complete several years of experience, but that is not going to stop me from making my dream come true one day.