Cherise John can recall the exact moment that inspired her to become an engineer. Growing up in Fruitland, N.M., she lived between two mine sites and two coal-fired power plants, whose pollution created acid rain. “One day, my childhood preconceptions of a perfect world were shattered when my father wouldn’t let me drink rainwater from a cup I had set out,” John explains. “My first thought was, ‘What can we do to stop this so I can drink my rainwater?’”
That fateful childhood moment set John, Navajo, on the path to becoming an engineer to help her community. She had been good at math and understanding complex systems from a young age, so engineering was a natural fit. “I had intelligent, very supportive parents who taught me and pushed me to get the best grades possible,” John says. Their support was critical as she began the journey to achieving her dream career.
John’s parents worked at the same local power plant, and shared a common interest in how power systems work. Their commitment to hard work, along with their mutual passion for power systems, had a strong influence on John.
“My mother kept me on track with my homework and set the bar high for me, “she explains. “My father led by example. “He became a trainer of industrial processes for incoming recruits at the plant where he worked, and went on to teach the subject at San Juan College.
In a sense, John views her own engineering career as an extension of her father’s work. “My father recently retired, but he passed the baton to his children, “she says. Both of John’s brothers are supervisors at power plants, and John currently works as a mechanical engineer at GE Aviation.
Throughout school, John was encouraged by those around her to succeed. Her high school guidance counselor pushed her to “reach for the stars.” She applied to Dartmouth College, and was accepted. Once there, she continued to surround herself with supportive network. “At Dartmouth, the staff in the Native American program and all of my peers inspired, mentored, and welcomed me with open arms,” John remembers.
But after returning from a study abroad program in Italy in December2008, she was struck by the financial burden that attending Dartmouth had placed on her family. To ease those constraints, John transferred to Northern Arizona University for the spring semester. “Once I got to NAU, I realized that my scholarships would fully support me there, which wasn’t possible at Dartmouth,” she explains. So John decided to transfer to NAU for good.
I felt myself transform through graduate school. I felt as if I had gained access into the world of mechanical engineering by the time I left.
At NAU, she earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering with a minor in mechanical engineering. Then, she took on a teaching assistant job while pursuing her master’s in mechanical engineering. “The primary class I taught was thermodynamics, and I was also a teaching assistant for fluid dynamics,” John explains. She held office hours and gave students one-on-one help with course subjects.
These experiences gave John more confidence that engineering was what she was meant to do. “I felt myself transform through graduate school,” she says. “I felt as if I had gained access into the world of mechanical engineering by the time I left. “Shortly after starting graduate school, John landed an internship with GE Aviation at an AISES National Conference. She was then accepted into GE’s Edison Engineering Development Program. “In all my schooling, I was always involved with AISES,” John says. “This community has opened doors for me to meet new people who share a common goal.”
Today, she is a mechanical engineer at GE working in military thermal system design as an Edison. Her role includes ensuring engine components can operate in high-pressure, high-temperature turbine parts. “I enjoy the challenge of my job, and having to find unique solutions,” she explains. “I’m always learning something new about how the engine works because it’s such a complicated system.”
John’s ultimate career goal is to gain credibility among her peers and establish a strong mentor base so she can keep learning as much as possible. “I hope that all the knowledge I gain can be taken back home and shared with my people in some way,” she says.
John has a bit of advice for students who are just getting started: “Engineering and other STEM fields are challenging journeys, but the amazing things you’ll learn, and the new doors that will open for you, will make it worthwhile. Because of STEM, I realize the sky isn’t my limit — only my imagination.”
