The Power of Perseverance and Determination

The STEM Talks series kicks-off with an insightful presentation from a Nuclear Engineer

“When you finish your Master’s Degree you want to go right into the workforce and start your career, but I had to start from zero,” says Diana Urrego, a Nuclear Engineer at Ontario Power Generation (OPG).

Urrego is a Colombian engineer who moved to Canada 10 years ago after finishing her Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute in Guadalajara, Mexico. She came to the Durham District School Board (DDSB) Education Centre on April 8th to share her story, “I didn’t speak any English, so I had to go back to school to learn the language. I also had to find a job to support myself while I was going to school in the evenings. I ended up finding a job at Tim Hortons,” explains Urrego.

After learning English, Urrego quit Tim Hortons and worked for Gatestone Inc. (they provide customer contact center and business process outsourcing solutions to varying markets) as a collector and eventually as a business analyst. “They were looking for a business analyst who knew how to use Microsoft Access,” she recalls. “I learned how to use that in university and back then I thought, ‘when will I ever need to use this?’ It turns out, everything you learn will be useful at some point in your life.”

In the two years she worked for Gatestone Inc. as a business analyst, Urrego was back in school at the University of Toronto in the Licensing International Engineers into the Profession (LIEP) Program. This program allows international engineers to have their engineering credentials accredited in Canada. 

Don’t Give Up

“I was finally able to get a job as an engineer! I worked for General Electric for close to three years as a Technical Support Engineer,” says Urrego.

She ended up going back to school again, this time to get her Graduate Diploma in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). Through this, she was offered a temporary job at OPG, “I put in a lot of effort, and I was eventually offered a permanent position at OPG.” Urrego is currently a Section Manager at Darlington Nuclear Generating Station.

Urrego says she’s excited to share her story, especially with young people, “I want to inspire young people. I want to talk about life’s realities. Life is not only dreams, it isn’t perfect. It’s okay to be set back, as long as you keep your goals clear and you don’t give up.” She adds, “My message is letting people know that life isn’t always easy, and it’s part of the journey to keep trying.”

More to Come

Urrego’s presentation is one of two Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Talks sessions happening this year. Jane Kennedy, STEM and Science Facilitator at the DDSB and organizer of STEM Talks says the events are open to everyone; students, parents/guardians, educators, and the whole community. “I’m hoping people see that determination and perseverance enable us to set and meet our goals,” says Kennedy.

The next STEM Talks session is on May 13th and will showcase Rudy Lang, a Software Developer at General Motors Canada. To keep up to date on STEM events within the DDSB, follow @DDSB_STEM on Twitter.