Extreme Engineer: Sara Depaula
Extreme Engineer Quote
"Participate in programs and competitions [like JETS] that expose you to what engineers do and help you explore engineering"
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What She Does
Sara resides currently in the Denver Colorado area where she works for the US DOT - Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration. Sara works to understand the current state of pipeline safety regulations and then provides tools and recommendations to aide in assessing risks that effect the general population.
Making a Difference
Sara enjoys being an important part of a team that makes improvements that will ultimately make differences that effect the general population and the way we live. She typically works about forty hours per week and she loves that every day is different than the last one.
Why Engineering?
While in high school, she participated in the FIRST Robotics engineering competition and said that the experience is what inspired her to pursue engineering. Being a part of the entire process from conception to prototype was an enlightening experience for her and that's what she loved about it right away.
Advice
Participate in programs and competitions [like JETS] that expose you to what engineers do and help you explore engineering. Additionally, Sara has had many role models to include past teachers, supervisors, colleagues and especially her five year old daughter Emily. Sara noted that you should expose yourself to a lot of diverse opportunities as you are in the career exploration process because you never know what life changing experience is just around the corner.
Hobbies/Free Time
Sara enjoys extensive traveling abroad and has even had time to train and run her first Marathon last December! Recently though, Sara has been focusing on spending as much time as possible with her daughter Emily. See…you can have a great job you love and enjoy your hobbies and family, too!
Education
Sara attended high school at Maritime & Science Technology High School in Key Biscayne, Florida. After high school Sara began college at Florida State University and declared her major in Mechanical Engineering. She ended up finishing her degree at Florida International University. While in college, Sara became very active in the FIU section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and said "The entire experience was a lot of fun because it was challenging and it allowed me to meet others in the same career path."
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