Chriselle Galapon

Chriselle Galapon

Assistant Thermal Systems Engineer


National Solar Observatory - Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope

Maui, HI USA


At the end of the day, it's all you. Who cares what other people think? You have to do what makes you happy.

Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

Chriselle Galapon

Milestones

My road in life took a while to figure out.
When she was in high school, she took place in competitions building bridges, small planes, and rockets.
But when she started at community college, she didn’t really know what she wanted to do with her life.
Her family really wanted her to go to medical school, but she just felt lost.
When she transferred into the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, she thought she wanted to go into mechanical engineering.
The program proved to be difficult, so she took a year off; the break made her realize how much she missed engineering.
After returning and graduating, she wanted to stay near her family, but was worried there weren’t many opportunities for engineers in Maui.
She joined the Akamai Workforce Initiative, a networking / mentoring program for Hawaii’s scientific and technical workforce.
Through Akamai, she was able to find a career on Maui, working on the construction of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope.

Career

Assistant Thermal Systems Engineer

I assist in the construction of the DKIST Project and associated thermal and mechanical systems.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Technology
Building Things

Day to Day

In construction a great day would involve great weather, sunshine, low wind, and a full crew working in their various trades with all their materials / tools on hand and with little to no safety hazards being observed.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for high school students

Network within your career path.

Recommended Education

My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Parents:

"You should go to medical school. "

Challenges I Overcame

First-Generation Immigrant

Interviewed By

Setting Course

Setting Course

Science, tech, engineering, arts, and math careers in Hawaii