Mayra V.

Mayra V. has been participating in a wide range of courses at Cabrillo College while also working in food service and retail. These jobs have merits, but they don't pay a Santa Cruz living wage or offer much potential for career advancement, according to Mayra.

“Giving the Cabrillo Etech program a try turned out to be life-changing for me because the program taught me the necessary skills to find employment in engineering design, which offers the financial security and career longevity that are important to me. I also discovered that learning by doing is the best way for me to truly learn and develop expertise,” says Mayra.

Computer numerical controlled equipment can be cost prohibitive. Mayra would not have been able to learn valuable skills so quickly if not for the amazing Etech lab. And she feels that all of the machinery and software would not be very useful without the endless patience and support from the welcoming teachers and aids.

“College takes commitment and hard work, but after a relatively short period of time, I've learned practical skills that will benefit me and my career for the rest of my life. Thanks to my wonderful new job in engineering design, for the first time in my life I’ve been able to experience financial security and the security of knowing that I will always be able to earn a comfortable living.”