Savanna Silva
U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground
Yuma, AZ USA
"Any adversity that you go through is only going to make you a stronger person...No matter what adversity I’ve gone through in life, it’s made me the person I am today."
Career Roadmap
Savanna's work combines: Engineering, Numbers, and Learning / Being Challenged
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I've had to deal with varying levels of discrimination in my career. In my book, we are all equals with the same capabilities. I had to learn to not hide behind fear and challenge this negativity when I encountered it. To show them that I am equal and capable, I help out and insert myself in all kinds of situations. It's hard to change people's mentalities, but it is possible.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Associate's Degree
Business/Commerce, General
Arizona Western College
Bachelor's Degree
Systems Engineering
University of Arizona
Certification
Level II Certified in Test & Evaluation
Defense Acquisition University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Born and raised in a small town in Oklahoma.
2.
Moved to Yuma, AZ after her father got a job working for the U.S. Border Patrol when she was 13 years old.
3.
With the help of her uncle, she learned how to fly planes—says she knew from that moment that she wanted to pursue a career in engineering.
4.
She graduated high school in the top 10 of her class but didn’t get any scholarships that would enable her to go to a 4-year university.
5.
Attended Arizona Western College (AWC), a community college in Yuma, where she received her associate’s degree in business.
6.
Worked as a data collector at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground but was unfulfilled—decided to go back to pursue her bachelor’s degree in engineering.
7.
Participated in a systems engineering "2-1-1" program where she spent 2 years at AWC doing her general requirements, 1 year taking satellite courses through UA, and 1 year attending UA.
8.
She was the first female to graduate from that program and is now a Mechanical Engineer at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
You must not be as smart as the men in your field because you are a woman.
How I responded:
I've had to deal with varying levels of discrimination in my career. In my book, we are all equals with the same capabilities. I had to learn to not hide behind fear and challenge this negativity when I encountered it. To show them that I am equal and capable, I help out and insert myself in all kinds of situations. It's hard to change people's mentalities, but it is possible.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I was the first of my family to go to college. My parents knew that getting a degree was going to set me up for the future and they were right. Any time I felt that I couldn’t do it, they were there to be my sounding board and moral support.
When I graduated high school, I didn't get enough scholarships to attend a 4-year, so I went to community college. To get my bachelor's degree, I was paying for my classes out of pocket and through student loans.