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|
