I am Noelle Zhania Mortega Vargas. My name is a mouthful but I really love it! I am a Filipina-American, and I have two first names which is common in the Philippines. I go by Zhanie in this class because it is a nickname for my second first name, Zhania. I was born in the Philippines, then moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A. when I was two-and-a-half-years-old. Then when I was about nine, I moved to Oklahoma. I think it is cool that depending on the location, I am called by a different name. In the Philippines and Michigan, I was called Zhanie at home and school, then when I moved to Oklahoma, I was called Noelle at school. Still in college I am called by most people as Noelle, but I have missed the name Zhanie and I am bringing it back!
(Image representing a blend of my two identities being a Filipina in America.)
This May, I intend to be graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering! I will be working for Samsung Austin Semiconductor starting in June and begin a new chapter of being a full-time working girl! It is my career goal to show the strength of a diverse, female engineer. As engineering is a male-dominated field, I want to prove the excellence and the unique qualities women engineers can bring to the occupation.
My overall life goal is to serve God and live out my Roman Catholic faith. I hope to continue giving back to the people in the Philippines. As I grow older, I want to give more and create more opportunities for the people there. There could be people with the same abilities and strengths as I do, but live in a very different circumstance where they cannot use these abilities and strengths to, for example, become a mechanical engineer. The main difference between our lives is that they are not presented with the same opportunities. It is my goal to be a part of creating these opportunities for the people in my home-country of the Philippines.
Thanks for reading a little about me! I am looking forward to meeting you all in this class!
|Zhanie|
Hi Zhanie,
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome that you already have a job lined up after graduation! Even if you have to move to Austin ;). I'm a Girl Scout leader in Moore. GSUSA has added a lot of STEM badges the past couple of years, so we've been working on a lot of Engineering projects. If you need any community service hours, we'd love it if you would like to come visit our troop and talk about what it takes to become an Engineer.
Do you have family in the Philippines? Do you get to go back to visit? I admire that you still have such a big heart for your home country although you moved to the US when you were a toddler.
I look forward to getting to know you over the semester!
-Eden
Hiya Zhanie! Great job on having a job lined up! Over the summer, while I worked in IT, I got to work with a lot of engineers. The company I worked with was very adamant about promoting diversity in the workplace, and I'm happy to see that you're passionate about it too. I'm wishing you luck in your endeavors to help other people in your same situation. That is something I also hope to do when I'm able to do so.
ReplyDeleteHi, Zhanie!
ReplyDeleteI too think your name is very darling! I love both the names Noelle and Zhania. You are so lucky to have a job lined up for you after your graduation! That is no small feat for college grads. I am huge in female empowerment, so I think it is absolutely fantastic that you are going into a male-dominated field especially while also representing your Filipina heritage. If you do not hear from me before you graduate, best of luck to you in your new job!
It is so exciting to meet someone from the Philippines in this class, Zhanie! I wish we could take some kind of magic field trip to India in this class and, hey, once we're already in India we could take a sidetrip to the Philippines too. There are so many great storytelling traditions in the Philippines after all! And maybe for this class you can learn something about the Christian traditions in India; there are some very old legends about gospel missions to India going all the way back to Saint Thomas. If that is something you are curious about, here is a link: Saint Thomas: Mission in India, and there are people in India who call themselves Saint Thomas Christians; more about that at Wikipedia: Saint Thomas Christians... I find that all so fascinating because wherever religions spread, so do stories. If that is something you would like to learn about in this class, I will be so glad to share more information about that. It is a topic I am very interested in too! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Zhanie,
ReplyDeleteI love every version of your name. You've also lived in a couple of places that I would love to visit one day.
I find your life goals very inspirational. I agree that we need more female engineers and I'm happy that you are part of making that happen! I also think your love of your country is amazing. You're right about people just needing an opportunity to succeed. I wish you luck on all of your endeavors!
OMG HELLO ZHANIE!
ReplyDeleteThis is Audrey from MMAOU. Funny how we ended up in the same online class together! I knew you were Filipino but I had no idea you were born in the Philippines, or that you went by any other name than Noelle. I really like the name Zhanie though, it's very unique. Also, congrats on already having a job lined up!! I always knew you were smart, but this is amazing! Can't wait for you to start empowering little girls out there.
Hello Zhanie. I haven't heard of someone with multiple first names before, that's really neat. It's good to have pride for where your roots are so good for you. And you have an awesome goal. Wanting to give other people an opportunity to see where their talents can get them is a very worthwhile goal. I respect you for that and I wish you all the luck with that.
ReplyDeleteHello Zhanie!
ReplyDeleteThat's cool that you have two first names. I only have one first name, but I am the third of my name! Good luck on your grown-up job, that sounds interesting. It's really neat that even though you moved to the U.S. when you were pretty young, you still care a great amount for your culture and home country. Looking forward to reading your stories this semester!
Hi Zhanie! I'm a computer engineering student - glad to meet another engineering major in the class. You go for getting a full-time job lined up! I know a lot of people who are struggling with that right now. Glad you are pursuing your faith as well - I'm not Catholic but I mentor a Catholic high school's robotics team and it is great to see the potential of those future engineers and all the good they want to do.
ReplyDeleteHi Zhanie! Congratulation on graduating this semester on graduating and already having a job lined up! That is super exciting and I'm sure Samsung is a great place to work for. I also think that it is very admirable that you want to give back to the Philippines. It is very good that you remember people that might have less than you and you make sure to take care of them as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Zhanie!
ReplyDeleteI recognize your name and I’m pretty sure you ran for Miss Asian! It’s insane that we’re in the same class. It was really nice to learn about you and even nicer to read about another Filipina. I happen to also be Filipino in addition to being Puerto Rican. My boyfriend also came from the Philippines and moved here when he was a teen. Lastly, I think it’s so cool that you’re a female engineer. Power to women!!!! Continue doing your thing girl!
Hey Zhanie!That's cool that you have lived in other places than Oklahoma. I'm super impressed that you are a mechanical engineer--congratulations on your upcoming graduation and the job you have secured! I wonder how you picked out that major. Have you always wanted to be an engineer? That is huge! I too grew up Catholic. It's nice to see the passion you have for people! Best of luck as you continue your journey beyond OU!
ReplyDeleteZhanie,
ReplyDeleteI am super jealous that you have your life all planned out! It really seems like you have a great interest as to what you want to do, so I am really glad everything is working out for you! I think is really impressive, too, that you are graduating with as a mechanical engineer, that is something to be really proud of! Also, your incorporation of faith in your daily life is great, and I am glad you have the platform for yourself as well.
Hi Zhanie!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome first name(s) and it is so cool how you have two of them. Congrats on your upcoming graduation and your future career! I am also graduating in May, but sadly I have yet to line up a job after I graduate, so it must be a big stress reliever to have that out of the way!
Hey Zhanie! I will also be graduating this May with a mechanical engineering degree. I can't wait to be done with school! It is awesome that you have such strong roots with your culture and love both your names. Congrats on the awesome job for after graduation and best of luck the rest of this semester!
ReplyDeleteZhanie,
ReplyDeleteThe idea of two first names seems a little confusing but also really cool. Have you ever been in a situation where you have people who call you by different names interact with some confusion? Congratulations on being so close to graduation! The ratio of men to women in engineering is absurd. I have an aerospace buddy with only THREE ladies in most of his classes of ~40 people. While I haven't seen such extremes, I can definitely see how that could be challenging and discouraging. Good on you for never giving up on your goals despite being so outnumbered! I hope that ratio improves in the coming years- I know there was an enormous push in my middle and high schools to have more women enter STEM fields. So many different factors contribute to that ratio, but seeing other women succeed in STEM can only help- maybe you'll be inspiration for upcoming female engineers, especially those in the Philippines? You'd basically be a real-life superhero. Super Zhanie? It has a certain ring to it. :)
Hi Zhanie,
ReplyDeleteI think it's so cool that you have two first names! Congrats on being so close to graduating. It seems so exciting! I am only a sophomore so I have a ways to go still. I am happy that you have somewhere to immediately start working and I wish you the best of luck!
Hi Zhanie! First of all, congratulations on graduating. I have several friends who were graduating and are upset that they aren’t able to walk, but our college experience is more than the ceremony at the end. I think it’s awesome that you’re an engineer and the world definitely needs more female engineers. Furthermore, I have some mad respect that you found a calling to give back to the Philippines. Best wishes going forward!
ReplyDeleteHi Zhanie, You’ve lived an interesting life so far and it sounds like it’s just getting better and better. Congratulations and good luck on your new job! It sounds like you have a strong grasp on your goals and ambitions which is awesome! I think it is great that you are going back to the name you like to use. My sister did something very similar. All of our family call her by her middle name and her friends call her by her first name and she thinks she wants to go back to her middle name again. It’s nice to meet you, - Jillienne Kirkpatrick
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Zhanie!
ReplyDeleteYou go girl!! I wish you the very best with engineering. Congratulations on having a job lined up and graduation too. I know we cannot walk the stage this year, but it is such an awesome accomplishment either way. I also love how you elaborated on your name. I think it was a cool personal touch to your intro that was really interesting. I wish you the best after graduation!
Hi Zhanie!
ReplyDeleteYou have such a beautiful name, and you have such a cool cultural background! I am so glad you're bringing this name back. Why did you move from Michigan to Oklahoma? I am sorry you had to see graduation end this way, and congratulations on making it through a hard engineering degree! It sounds like you have everything figured out with the new amazing job! Good luck with everything!