Andrea Navarro has had quite the college journey. She was a student-athlete on the track team, graduated in 2019 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in finance, and is back getting her bachelor鈥檚 degree in electrical engineering. Why? It makes her happy.
Navarro liked math and decided on a finance major, but after graduation, she found her heart wasn鈥檛 in it.
鈥淲hen I told my parents I was going back for engineering, they told me I should just try and find a good job in finance,鈥� Navarro says.
She knew staying in finance wouldn鈥檛 make her happy in the long run, so Navarro took on the challenge of another degree and will graduate in December. While working at her 3S internship she was offered and accepted a full-time position.
鈥淚t was a really quick, easy transition,鈥� Navarro says. 鈥淚 did what I鈥檓 doing now.鈥�
Navarro鈥檚 official title is Aircraft Certification Analyst. She likes certification because she鈥檚 a naturally curious person who wants to understand the whole picture of what she鈥檚 looking at. In her position, she has an overview of the industry that she鈥檚 not able to get in class.
鈥淚 recommend that people interested in the aerospace industry go anywhere with certification first because you get the full view of what you鈥檙e looking at,鈥� Navarro says. 鈥淲hen I have the whole project in front of me, I know why I鈥檓 doing what I鈥檓 doing, and you don鈥檛 always get that.鈥�
Navarro鈥檚 Handshake search for an internship led her to a full-time position with 3S, where she鈥檚 happy doing certification work. She says working full-time and going to school full-time is not easy, but that she鈥檚 almost at the finish line and doesn鈥檛 regret the decisions that led her here.
The Shocker Career Accelerator helps prepare students for their future careers by connecting them with employers and providing career development services. Contact the Shocker Career Accelerator at (316) 978-3688, or stop by and see us in the John Bardo Center.