Perla Diosdado, Staff Engineer for the Development Services Group in North Kansas City, Missouri is well on her way to becoming a Professional Engineer. What most don’t know about her is that she is also a first-generation college graduate, and upon high school graduation, she was unsure of her career path and even began on the route toward another profession.
Growing up, Diosdado wasn’t exposed to a wide variety of career fields, but at an early age, she recognized the importance of pursuing higher education. “I knew it would enable me to have a better quality of life,” said Diosdado, “I initially thought my options were limited to joining the military, becoming a teacher, or pursuing a career in business.” After high school, Diosdado decided to try business administration and shortly after found she wasn’t being as challenged as she had hoped, and her interest in this path faded. Fortunately, Diosdado’s counselor asked if she had considered studying engineering upon learning her favorite class was math, Diosdado responded, “what is engineering?”
For Diosdado, it would be fair to say and the rest is history, but she is far from concluding her mission of creating an impact on her community through engineering. “I hope to serve my community, my company, and my peers in ways that inspire others to make lives better,” said Diosdado. Part of her passion to serve and inspire others lies in her interest in influencing young women to follow their dreams, “I hope young women realize that this is not only for men; women have so much to give and our input is very important in this field,” she said.
Diosdado would like to remind women that even though a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) will certainly be challenging, the journey and outcome is well worth it. “You don’t have to get straight A’s in school to pursue a career STEM, however, you do have to work hard, and when it gets hard it’s important to not only persevere but work harder; nothing worth having will come easy.”
“You do have to work hard, and when it gets hard it’s important not only to persevere but work harder…”
Her final piece of advice to young women on the cusp of building their futures is, “Don’t settle for what is comfortable. Find things that you had no idea existed. Everyone has a different journey and story, you may have always wanted to be an engineer, scientist, astronaut, or you may be unsure what a career in STEM looks like; regardless of your story, be curious, be open, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
About McClure
McClure was founded in 1956. With a vision of making lives better, McClure’s mission is building relationships for success. McClure’s area of expertise is in guiding its clients on making long-term capital investments. The company specializes in public infrastructure and capital improvements planning in the areas of energy, placemaking, transportation, water, wastewater, stormwater, environmental, structural, bridge, land development, landscape architecture, aviation, surveying, and mapping (including 3D high definition scanning and UAV mapping) projects throughout the Midwest and nationally. For more information on the company and services provided, email info@mecresults.com or visit www.mecresults.com.
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