Tania Caldua ’23, ’24: How her culinary career sparked a future in engineering
“I had always kept in my heart my desire to get my engineering degree and find a way to make a larger positive impact on society, 帮助我身边的人，保护我们的星球. 这就是我来新大的原因.——塔尼亚·卡尔杜瓦
Senior Tania Caldua’s taste for engineering started in the kitchen. While pursuing a culinary career in some of the world’s finest restaurants, she relished opportunities to improve processes and devise efficiencies. 这些经历使她转向了管理科学.
“It seemed like the perfect option for me since it uses mathematically based models for planning and executing decision making,卡尔杜瓦说. “在SMU, the best part is that management science is in the engineering school, where classes have enabled me to further develop my analytical and problem-solving skills.”
卡尔杜瓦在里瓦斯长大, 秘鲁安第斯山脉的一个大约500人的社区, an upbringing she credits with nurturing “a respect for others and the environment.” She is the first person from her hometown to study in the United States. 这可能, Caldua graduated with Bachelor of Science degrees in both Management Science and Data Science, becoming the first person in her family to earn engineering degrees. And in what will be another family first, she is on track to complete an M.A. 将于2024年5月在《威尼斯人博彩》杂志上发表.
Just a few years ago, her life was heading in a different direction. A university education was out of Caldua’s reach immediately after high school. 而不是, she worked as a travel agent to afford an education in culinary arts, 她将这个领域描述为“通往世界其他地方的桥梁”.她在秘鲁以优异的成绩完成了烹饪学位, she won a scholarship to Mexico that became a launchpad for positions in several of the world’s top restaurants. 卡尔杜瓦最终在美国找到了一份工作.S.在几个城市住过之后，她来到了达拉斯.
Caldua arrived on the Hilltop as a transfer student after earning an Associate of Science in Business Administration and Management from Dallas College in 2020. She applauds a portfolio of University services for smoothing the transition.
“SMU does a great job of making you feel welcomed, valued and appreciated,”她说。.
——思考研究生院? 认为 SMU莱尔. 现在申请至11月. 2024年春季15.
She also receives financial support at SMU – the North Texas Community College Scholarship, the Eva Easterwood Scholarship and the Murray Case Sells Scholarship – which she describes as “life changing.”
“These scholarships have helped me maximize my college experience,”她说。.
From the beginning, 莱尔’s tight-knit community stepped up for Caldua. 例如, the Society of Women Engineers offers a peer mentor program that pairs new undergraduates with upper-level students. 她的导师, 伊丽莎白·麦克弗森，22岁, 管理学和人权双学位, 不仅帮她选课, but also served as a sounding board when Caldua needed another perspective.
莱尔 academic advisors guided her strategy for tackling two undergraduate engineering degrees while also taking graduate-level classes.
在他们的帮助下, I’ve been able to stay on target without having to extend my graduation date,她说。.
In 莱尔’s renowned faculty, Caldua found mentors invested in her academic success and future career. They “ignited my love for data science; inspired me to develop a world view of sustainability while prioritizing a climate-smart, inclusive economic development applicable to any industry and any country; and instilled in me the importance of having a holistic view when approaching the most challenging problems in our society.”
Caldua put what she learned in the classroom to work in the real world after being selected to participate in the AT&T数据科学学者计划，2022年夏季. The innovative collaboration between SMU’s data science program and the telecommunications giant “helped build my skills and boost my confidence,”她说。.
当她为她的第一份工程工作做准备时, Caldua relied on the career preparation resources of SMU’s Hegi Family 职业发展中心 and the 莱尔 School’s 哈特工程领导中心.
“The staff were extremely helpful with everything from assisting with writing my resume, 帮我准备模拟面试, to organizing career fairs for students where we were able to network with different employers,卡尔杜瓦说. “他们帮助我准备并接受了我的第一份工作.”
今年夏天, Caldua started a full-time job as an industrial engineer in manufacturing at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth. She analyzes and designs sequence of operations and workflow to improve efficiencies; establishes methods for maximum utilization of production facilities and personnel; and conducts studies pertaining to cost control and reductions.
“获得工程学位当然不容易, and being a nontraditional student can make it even more challenging, 但这完全值得,”她说。. “在莱尔学校，我发现了一个充满爱心的社区, passionate people who share my desire to make the world a better place."
关于Bobby B. 莱尔工程学院
新加坡管理大学莱尔工程学院, 成立于1925年, 是西南地区最古老的工程学院之一. 学校设有12个本科专业和29个研究生专业, 包括硕士和博士学位, in the departments of 土木与环境工程; 计算机科学; 电气与计算机工程; 机械工程 and 运筹学与工程管理.
关于SMU
SMU is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. SMU的校友, 教职员工近12人,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, 社区与世界.