O4U Director Spotlight: Angie Gonzalez

This month, we’re shifting gears from Google’s Michael Hamamoto Tribble to another notable O4U Director: Angie Gonzalez. As a student, Angie attended the O4U Engineering conference once during her final year at NYU and has been a part of the O4UE Conference Team since 2018. She is an Alumni of Point Foundation and INROADS, as well as a former NACME Scholar. Presently, she demonstrates a tremendous amount of leadership and expertise in her job as a Reliability Engineer, and also serves as a Programming Director for the 2020 O4U Engineering Conference.

Sam: Hey, Angie! Thanks for taking the time to sit down with me. A warning: I was an English major, so any engineering jargon can and probably will go over my head!

Angie: No problem, Sam! Thanks for having me.

Sam: To start: you’re a reliability engineer. What does that consist of?

Angie: So, I can’t get into the specifics, but being a Reliability Engineer on my program has been super fun and exciting, yet very challenging. Contrary to most engineers, reliability engineers see through the full life cycle of a product — we are involved in the development, production, and sustainment stages. It’s kinda like what I imagine it’s like raising a kid; you see them as they may start crawling, walking, and then running. It’s a really cool opportunity to be in such a dynamic role.

Sam: That sounds super interesting. Did you ever imagine yourself in this specific career?

Angie: I had no idea what to expect when I got my offer… or honestly, what to expect when I signed myself up to go to college for engineering, haha! When I got my job offer, all I knew was that I would be a Logistics Engineer. Even when I got to work, because of the nature of my program, it took me a few months before I got my current assignment and began work work.

Sam: And you’re enjoying it?

Angie: I loooooove it. Although I am an “Associate”/Level 1 Engineer, my manager has provided me opportunities to learn different aspects of the life cycle of the product, sit in on meetings with senior engineers and managers, as well as take advantage of work travel, whether it’s taking our little Beechcraft Jet from LAX up to Palmdale once every two weeks, or traveling out to the supplier for design reviews or working groups. However, in speaking with folks with similar experience to myself, I am understanding that these opportunities do not just arise — you have to go out and ask for it. From Day 1, I told my manager that I sought out to perform to the highest level possible at the company — and with his support, as well as support from our Subject Matter Experts and my amazing co-workers, I was able to achieve the highest performance rating at Northrop Grumman within just my first year; a rating that only 10% of the company receives per year.

Sam: As a Point Foundation scholar and O4U Director, you’re clearly invested in LGBTQ+ authenticity in the workplace. Do you find that you’re able to channel this passion of yours when at work?

Angie: On my own day-to-day, I have a TON of queer “indicators” on my desk, whether it’s my Lesbians Who Tech and oSTEM Conference lanyards, my rainbow and bi-colored pins, or a pamphlet from the last Point Gala I spoke at. At a minimum, it’s pretty obvious that I am at least an ally to the community, haha! When it comes to my gender presentation, I always feel empowered to come to work as my whole self, which sometimes includes my visible piercings, tattoos, and even sometimes, my Kaepernick Air Force ones that I love to wear on Fridays. This empowerment definitely, without a doubt, has come from my queer communities from O4U, Point Foundation, and oSTEM.

Sam: What would you like to see more of in the engineering field?

Angie: It would be nice to see more women and non-binary people specifically in technical roles, as well as Black and Latinx folks. I do get to see a lot of women at work, but unfortunately a lot of them are not technical. When it comes to queer folks, I personally feel that it’s an identity that is not really easily identifiable or visible, unless the queer person is somehow out. I really do wish more queer folks, specifically in defense and aerospace, felt more empowered to be out and authentic at work. It would also be nice to see some more rainbows around at work!

Sam: Out of all the projects you’ve been involved with, both on a work and volunteer basis, what was your proudest moment?

Angie: That’s a tough one… I would have to say, my proudest moment doesn’t stem from the project work or the volunteer work that I do. For me, I’m even tearing up right now just thinking of the memory, but I’d have to say that graduating from college was my proudest moment. I remember finally strutting the stage at my first graduation at Barclay’s Center to be recognized for completing my BS degree in Electrical Engineering. My whole family was there and it was so beautiful to let them be loud and proud of their little, California-bound engineer. When I was walking that stage, it wasn’t just for myself — it was for my family, my local community, and resilient queer Latina women everywhere. After the ceremony, getting to hug my nieces and nephew was the greatest feeling. I know that they look up to me so, so much and I am happy and grateful that I get to serve as a role model for them.

Sam: That’s so great to hear, Angie! Wow, so you’re working full-time and volunteering with O4U. What else do you do in your spare time, if you have any?

Angie: Well, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t mention CrossFit in an interview, haha! But lately, I’ve gotten into hiking and rock climbing. Every weekend I’m home in LA, I’ve been making a point to go on a new hike. During the week, I like to hit the gym for CrossFit and also rock climbing! I also love to spend my time volunteering for Homes4Families, oSTEM, NOGSLTP, as well as assisting with Adelante, our Hispanic/Latinx Employee Resource Group at Northrop Grumman, as a Human Resources/Talent Acquisition Liaison at the Aeronautics Sector level.

Sam: What advice would you give to LGBTQ+ students who are looking to pursue engineering?

Angie: The best advice I feel I’ve got to offer is the same thing I told the class of 2018 O4U Engineering attendees: push yourself out of your comfort zone. Each day I go to crossfit, not only do I question my life decisions, I push my body past my limit, or what I thought was my limit. There are times where I want to stop and where I want to give up. There are times where I don’t even want to try. But I’ve learned that when you push yourself, not only physically, but mentally, intellectually, and emotionally, the outcome is usually worth it. Lean into discomfort, whether that be pushing through that last rep, acknowledging a privilege you didn’t even know you had, or interacting with someone who thinks differently from you. For those who may not know me too well, you may view me as someone who is extremely extroverted, bubbly, and can strike up a conversation with anyone. ERR! Totally wrong! I actually have a really, really tough time initiating conversations with folks, especially folks I’ve never met before. By physically pushing my body out of my comfort zone, I am able to do things with my body at CrossFit, as well as outside the gym, that I never imagined myself doing. I see the same effort when it comes to pushing myself to meet new people and initiating conversations with strangers — I say this as I’m about to willing head to the rock climbing gym, where I’ll have to make a new friend to help belay me! Wish me luck!

You can stay tuned on all things Angie by following her on Instagram at @AngieInSTEM.