Isabella Fiorini

At twenty years of age, Isabella arrived in the United States alone, fully responsible for her financial support and her future.  She enrolled in Mesa College working full-time, balancing school and her personal life.  When her physics professor invited her to be a part of the Outreach Mentor Program, she accepted.  “While in the program, I assisted students enrolled in the Mechanics physics course helping them prepare for exams, solve homework problems and improve their problem-solving and time management skills.” 

Isabella, now a Mechanical Engineering major at Warren College, feels her greatest achievement is being accepted to UC San Diego.  “As a woman coming from a foreign country and wanting to dive into the STEM field, being welcomed to one of the best universities in the world and with a prestigious research program is an enormous accomplishment.”  She had the privilege of growing up in a multicultural home and was constantly surrounded by people who had different beliefs and communicated differently.  This taught her to respect and adapt to differences and to interact positively with others.  She also became proficient in three languages, the result of commitment and dedication and a strong desire to continue to learn and to grow.

“My constant exposure to multicultural settings also made me, from a young age, notice how women are treated differently in our world.  As a woman in the STEM field, I recognize the importance of embracing feminism.  I want to be a part of a change in our society, so women are empowered, stereotypes are disrupted, and young women are encouraged to pursue careers they dream about.”

Isabella plans to pursue a PhD degree and become an Engineering professor.  In so doing, she’d like to serve as an example for other women students.  She’d also like to have an impact on the next generation of engineers that will shape the future of our global society.