University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)
Construction Engineering Management
Great Minds in STEM is proud to introduce our Scholar of the Month for April, Nanette Giron, recipient of the Davila/Trevino Family Memorial Scholarship.
Nanette joins us from El Paso, Texas as a senior at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in the Construction Engineering Management program. Now, as her children are young adults, Nanette has decided to go back to school. She attended El Paso Community College where she received her Associate of Science in Civil Engineering. There, she excelled in her studies and was placed on the President’s List for the Fall of 2021.
Among her many accomplishments, Nanette has participated in two summer internships with the Texas Department of Transportation’s Bridge and Construction Department. There she was given the opportunity to shadow civil engineers and field inspectors. During her two intern terms, she learned how a state agency plans and implements projects for public welfare and prioritizes federal funds for the building and maintenance of the state’s infrastructure. Nanette has also helped in the community by completing her third year as a Safety and Health Trainer under Professor Adeeba Abdul Raheem, Assistant Professor and Director of the Construction Safety Program at UTEP. Nanette’s role consists of giving a 1-hour presentation in Spanish, to Spanish speaking construction workers, about Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines and regulations. Most recently, Nanette completed a summer internship at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as part of the Student Training in Applied Research Program held in Golden, Colorado.
As part of Nanette’s future plans, she is not only going to graduate with her bachelor’s degree from UTEP, but she also plans on continuing her studies by pursuing her Master of Science in Construction Engineering Management degree. She would also like to continue her research in exploring efficient and innovative engineering tools and techniques to sustain resources for future generations. Nanette relayed to us that, “I feel it is never too late to follow one’s dreams. I am proud to show that one can choose a different path, even later in life.” Nanette is proof that higher education can be achieved no matter the obstacles that may come. We wish you the best of luck, Nanette!