The Perfect Blend: Heritage and STEM
For Camila and Daniela, two of our talented engineers, the unique pairing of a Hispanic upbringing and huge passion for STEM has created pathways for professional growth and enrichment at Lockheed Martin.
Camila, Senior Circuit Design Engineer
Read: Using Math as a Universal Language
Daniella, Software Engineer
Read: Food = Connection to Math and Science
Camila and her family moved to the U.S. from Bogota, Colombia when she was ten years old. She found herself in a new country, learning a new language and navigating a new culture at a very young age. Fortunately, she found a common thread that helped ease her transition, and set her on a path to joining Lockheed Martin.
"The one thing that really translates from a Spanish-speaking country to the U.S. was not language - it was most definitely math," she said.
Encouraged by that discovery, and motivated by how hard her family worked to create opportunities for her and her sister, Camilla set her sights on an engineering career.
Anchored By Values
Throughout undergrad, Camila's heritage played a part in her success.
"I made sure I got really involved. Coming from a Latin background, the key values are adaptability, relationships and hard work through relationship building," she explains.
Holding true to those values paid off, as she earned scholarships to attend Valencia College before transferring to the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida, where she received an engineering scholarship. After joining the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, she attended every event held when employers came to campus, where she learned about the UCF Lockheed Martin College Work Experience Program (CWEP).
She applied to CWEP immediately and got hired on for the Apache program as a reliability engineer. Here, she built her skills and her network, soon turning her work experience into a full-time role.
From CWEP to ELDP to Senior Engineer
Camila's determination and adaptability have been the driving forces behind her success at Lockheed Martin.
"Being able and willing to adapt comes from my family because life was completely different from when I came to the U.S. All I did was just observe--everything was so fascinating and different," she said. “I had to learn very quickly, which I also had to do when joining a new team at Lockheed Martin."
Shortly after, Camila was accepted into the Engineering Leadership Development Program and utilized Lockheed Martin's tuition assistance to help her complete her master's. After graduating from the program, Camila landed a promotion in another new side of engineering: programmable logic design.
"I learned from family to be a connector and the importance of relationships that form strong partnerships," she said. "I know for a fact that doing that will take you a long way here."
Daniela
Daniela grew up in South Texas and was constantly surrounded by a large, supportive extended family. She remembers being deeply rooted in the rich traditions of her Mexican heritage.
“Family and cultural values have always been at the heart of everything I do, guiding me through life and shaping my career path in ways I never imagined,” Daniela said. “Some of my fondest memories are connected to family and food."
Food Equals a Connection to Math and Science
Hosting tamaladas, or tamale-making gatherings, is another favorite family tradition.
It’s a full-fledged production: one group preps the corn husks, and another spreads the masa. Meanwhile, someone else layers in pork, chicken and refried beans, as more hands skillfully wrap the tamales and set them in the steamer to cook.
“These gatherings were more than just about the food—they were about strengthening our family bonds, a value that resonates deeply with the teamwork I now cherish in my career,” she said.
Whether perfecting the art of making tortillas or hosting tamaladas, Daniela learned that success comes from teamwork, attention to detail and a deep respect for tradition.
“Those early lessons sparked my love for solving problems, like finding the perfect balance of flavors in a dish or tackling complex puzzles in math and science,” she said.
Finding Community
In the Fall of 2022, as a graduate student at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Daniela attended the Society of Women Engineers conference and was introduced to Lockheed Martin recruiters. This led Daniela to various engineering internships and eventually a full-time role as a software engineer, ensuring quality cybersecurity protection.
“You need the right measurements in cooking, and keeping our cybersecurity systems secure takes the same kind of careful attention to detail—a skill I’ve sharpened both in the kitchen with my family and at work,” she said.
Daniela is grateful that she has found a similar sense of community and belonging with her team. She also prioritized creating a group for other interns and new hires.
“It’s important to show other interns and new hires, especially women and Hispanic Americans, that they belong here and can thrive in this industry.”
National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, honors the contributions, history and achievements of Hispanic Americans. It also highlights how welcoming a wide range of perspectives and ideas can lead to breakthrough solutions that might have otherwise remained unknown.
At Lockheed Martin, we welcome the diverse perspecitves of our Hispanic employees not just this month, but year-round. Our HOLA Business Resource Group champions the growth of Hispanic employees at Lockheed Martin, nurturing and retaining top talent. It provide avenues for professional development and highlight our members' contributions in STEM, community outreach and communication.