Breaking the Code with Eloisa Carrasco

Cindy: Breaking the Code with Gabriella tells the story of a young girl who overcomes gender stereotypes in robotics, cementing herself as a role model for young women. The book includes science and engineering information, such as the design process and Java tutorials. As part of our initiative to empower young girls to pursue their interests in STEM, we are running the Breaking the Code with Gabriella: Trailblazers in STEM Speaker Series, which explores the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, and math. The series aims to dispel gender stereotypes and aid young students in getting advice on how to pursue their own passions.

Cindy: Today I'm here with Eloisa Carrasco, who is a rising senior studying electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota. She is interested in robotics and the applications of electrical engineering in the field. In the past, she was part of a FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics team during middle and high school and has continued that involvement as a mentor for Burnsville Robotics. Carrasco is also a Research Associate at NASA Langley Research Center as well as the president of the IEEE student chapter at the University of Minnesota. 

Cindy: Could you give a brief introduction about yourself—anything about your journey in STEM, your future goals, or your current interests that you think are notable? 

Eloisa: My name is Eloisa. Like you said, I started studying electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota and am also getting a minor in computer science. When it comes to my journey in STEM, it's kind of always been there. I started out nerding over Star Wars and loving how futuristic that world was. As I got further into school and then into robotics, I thought it was cool because I wanted to make stuff like Star Wars. I just found enjoyment in learning how to make things work and building on my team-building skills.

Then when it came to college, I wanted to go into something related to robotics, which was electrical engineering for me. Currently, between my junior and senior year, I am repeating my internship at NASA Langley as part of the NASA Academy where we are working on projects more related to aerospace, but I still get to use electrical engineering and all the skills I learned from robotics.

Cindy: Oh yeah, definitely. I know a lot of people, myself included, have gotten interested in STEM through robotics or competitions like First Tech Challenge or First Lego League. I think what you're doing right now with NASA is very cool. I know that you're currently studying robotics and electrical engineering. We talked briefly about how you got into that because of robotics and Star Wars. Were there other extracurriculars that you did in high school, maybe similar to First Tech Challenge (FTC) or outside of FTC, that sparked your interest? Was there a core memory or a core person that really made you interested in the field?

Eloisa: I kind of have two areas I attribute to going into STEM. Robotics is one of them, but also because my dad was the introduction to everything I knew about things like Star Wars. He is also kind of a techy guy who likes to bring home the latest technology. So, I had a home environment where I always had something to play with, and he would teach me how things work. One of the things that helped with robotics and going into college was taking two PLTW classes in high school, which was really nice. I got similar content with a different structure and came out with skills that I'm still using.

Cindy: I know PLTW; we have that at my school. I know a lot of schools have it. It's a great introduction to engineering or STEM, especially for high school students. So now, as a college student, could you talk a little about the projects you're working on or generally what your day-to-day work looks like as a student in electrical engineering?

Eloisa: Going into my senior year, my first semester is going to be a lot more technical electives. I get to dive into specific topics about the field that I want to do, one of them being a robot vision class, which I'm pretty excited about. Within school, as mentioned earlier, I am part of the IEEE Student Chapter as the president. Some of the projects I'm hoping to do include getting more hands-on experience for the ECE student body, whether it’s breadboard to PCB prototyping and design or setting up events with employers in the field to help students network and build their careers.

Cindy: Yeah, definitely. That sounds very exciting. So, outside of school, I know you're a research associate at the NASA Langley Research Center. Over the summer, what does your day-to-day look like working there? If you can share, what projects are you involved in, or generally, what work do you do there?

Eloisa: Yeah, so my position at NASA Langley is part of the NASA Academy, which is a program that differs from their main internship program. We're a little more self-directed than the main internship, so we get to decide what our day-to-day looks like. Right now, our projects involve working with UAS UAV, so drones. There are various things that need to be addressed with drones right now. One of the major areas of research that NASA is doing is a mix of hardware and software with drones. The larger vision is the concept of flying cars. We want to achieve safer airspace by tracking all vehicles in the air, at the same level of security as commercial airspace, but also for smaller drones.

Cindy: Okay, I see. That sounds very interesting. I'd love to dive into that in the future. Obviously, you're still a college student right now. You've had quite a bit of experience in STEM, starting in robotics in middle school and now all the way to university. Throughout that journey, have there been any challenges you've faced as a woman in what I know is a very male-dominated field? How have you overcome them?

Eloisa: Yeah, I kind of think that I have an interesting experience in that. I got lucky that I had a very fostering environment and, so far, not too hostile to me personally. I was always surrounded by people interested in the same things. However, I get a lot of imposter syndrome sometimes. I wonder, "Did I really deserve to be here? How much of it was just because I know people?" There have still been small moments, but one of the ways I get through it is by having a good support system and good mentors around. Working at NASA Langley has been eye-opening because there's so much history there. If you've ever watched or heard about "Hidden Figures," the book and movie took place at NASA Langley. It was mindboggling to come here and see how many women work at the center, especially in positions of leadership and engineering. They all have given very good advice, and it's very heartwarming to hear their stories.

Cindy: I definitely agree. I know imposter syndrome is a big thing, especially as you get into more complicated or intimidating experiences, like working at NASA. As you get further into your STEM journey or career path, it definitely intensifies. Having a good community built around you or other students is very valuable, even for myself. Starting from a young age, thinking about how young girls might get interested in robotics or STEM in general versus getting repelled by it, it can be very intimidating to show up to meetings and be the only girl there. On my middle school FIRST LEGO League team, I was the only girl there. It was a good experience for me, but that can't be said for every girl who's the only one on her team. Building off that, what advice would you give to young girls who might be looking to get involved in engineering and robotics, even if it is very male-dominated, from elementary school?

Eloisa: I would say the number one thing is to not give up and not feel discouraged. That's something you'll hear a lot, but it's really true. However, you can't keep persisting by yourself; you do need support. Part of not giving up is that if you feel uncomfortable in a team, always talk to your mentor and seek advice. If your mentor doesn't help or you still feel uncomfortable, talk to your parents. They can give you advice and encouragement. If you really feel uncomfortable, look for a team where you do feel comfortable.

Eloisa: This is something I saw firsthand while volunteering at an FLL scrimmage last weekend. It was my first time at an FLL scrimmage, and I saw some kids getting discouraged because others were speaking over them. After judging, one of my co-judges walked over to talk to a student to say, "Hey, don't give up on robotics. Sometimes you just need to find another team."

Cindy: Yeah, definitely. A lot of times, you shouldn't give up on your passions or something you're really interested in just because of one negative experience. Instead, seek out other pathways to lead you to where you want to be. I know you've done First Tech Challenge in the past in middle and high school, so if you could describe it in one word, what would that be?

Eloisa: Okay, I was going to say "eye-opening," which is hyphenated, but I think "enlightening" is probably the best way to describe it. It really helped me in multiple parts of my life, whether it was general knowledge or helping me as a person. It made me more social and taught me how to talk to people because part of the competition, especially with judging, is getting used to bolstering yourself and your team and trying to network with other teams to get ahead in the competition.

Cindy: Yeah, definitely. Throughout FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Tech Challenge, one of the experiences that made me very interested in STEM personally is the collaboration. Like you said, being able to work with others who share similar goals is very valuable. Do you have a favorite memory from your FIRST Tech Challenge experience?

Eloisa: It sounds cheesy, but it was specifically, our junior year, our second tournament of the season ended with us being the winning alliance and making it to State for the first time. It was one of those high-emotion moments. I am not one to cry a lot in public, but that was the one time I let myself cry because our whole team was so excited that we got somewhere and made it to State for the first time.

Cindy: Yeah, definitely. Every time you reach a new milestone, it's very rewarding because of all the hundreds of hours of work put in before that. You've continued your involvement with FIRST Tech Challenge as a mentor for Burnsville Robotics. What has inspired you to continue being involved with FIRST and to become a mentor?

Eloisa: I really saw the value in all the skills that it taught me, even just going to school. I enjoyed being there, and while I was a student, we were still doing outreach, teaching other kids and watching some of them join the program. I wanted to keep it going and keep our organization growing. We're actually at a point where we're going to start the FLL team again, which I think is amazing. I'm watching our work make an impact. It's also fun to still be involved, seeing the different robots that come out every year. Now I'm on the other end, teaching people how to design a robot. It's still a way that I’m learning. I’m learning just as much from my students as I am from teaching myself.

Cindy: A lot of times, you might not expect to be learning while being a mentor because traditionally, it's something the student gains. But the benefits are something I have found myself through tutoring others; that's something that really develops as you become a mentor. Are there any other benefits you think being a mentor has given you that you might not have thought about when you first started mentoring or might not have considered when you first began?

Eloisa: Some of the skills I got as a student and through mentoring really help me now in my internship. When I started mentoring, I had to learn how to be patient with both myself and my students. You forget how little you knew when you first started. Students move at a different pace because they're still learning. Going into my internship, I had that little bit of patience. Because I’m returning, I’ve also taken on a leadership role, trying to organize people and organize tasks for them. The experience of trying to organize tasks for my students is transferring over to the internship; being able to organize a timeline of deadlines, and seeing “We got a deadline, how can we break this down?”

Cindy: It definitely sounds like there are many connections between the two, even though your internship and mentoring might not seem related at first glance. Finally, you've come a long way since middle school. If there were one piece of career-related advice you could give to your middle school self, what would it be and why?

Eloisa: I almost wish I had done more. At the time, I just did robotics and the only other extracurricular I had was track. I wish I had spent more of my free time doing more reading. As much as I like to specialize in one thing, it helps me both from a knowledge standpoint and when talking to other people to have a base understanding of a broader amount of things. Then, I don’t have as much of a learning curve. I wish I had done a bit more reading and did a bit more outside of just robotics because it would have helped even more with learning different skills.

Cindy: I think expanding your activities—even if it might not seem related to what you want to do in the future—can be very helpful. Well, thank you so much for speaking with me today.

Eloisa: It was really nice talking to you again, thank you so much!