Engineering is just as girly as you make it

Our next superwoman is Carla Vallarino. Growing up at the start of the digital age, Carla was intrigued with how all these new technologies worked. If not outside playing under the Mexican sun, you could find her somewhere dismantling some kind of household apparatus – much to her parents’ dislike. And so the choice for an engineering study in mechatronics was an easy one. 

When people ask her about her engineering background, Carla notices that a lot of people still have this 'prehistoric' idea of socially awkward men hiding away in a dark enclosed rooms. That’s why she makes it her mission to show young girls the diversity of an engineering job. In fact, all industries need engineers, even make-up and clothing companies. (Look up smart clothes, so cool!) “Engineering is just as girly as you make it.”

Today Carla works as Project Procurement Executive at Barco, where’s she in charge of the evaluation of suppliers and materials in the development of new products. It’s no typical engineering job in research and development, but she believes that her tech background allows her to see things from another angle. She’s especially proud to be part of engineering healthcare solutions that truly help people. “In a way we save lives without any medical training.” It proves again that there’s a broad possibility of doing things with an engineering degree in an ever-evolving world.