Ever since she was seven years old, Julia Alvarado wanted to become an astronaut with NASA. With encouragement from her professors at Palomar College, Alvarado is now working for NASA and feels like her dream has come true.
Alvarado still remembers seeing the movie Apollo 13 with her grandfather when she was a child and being intrigued by the NASA control room depicted in the movie.
“He told me that’s NASA, and if you want to go to space, you have to work there. But you have to study very hard,” she said. “After that, all my decisions were about becoming an astronaut.”
Alvarado was working as a construction wireman in the Imperial Valley solar farms when she learned through her union about the electrical training institute at Palomar College. Alvarado attended the institute, then went on to earn an inside Wireman Associate of Science degree in 2018, taking classes online and during nights and weekends while working.
After graduating from Palomar, Alvarado went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Manufacturing Engineering from Murray State University in Kentucky. She then posted a profile on LinkedIn inclusive of her degree and experience. Alvarado’s childhood dream came true two years ago when she accepted a job at NASA as an electrician at their facility in Mountain View, California.
Soon after she was hired, her boss took her to the control room – bringing back memories of seeing the control room while watching Apollo 13. “When I saw myself in the control room, I realized I was living my dream. I made it,” Alvarado said. “I realized that with all my sacrifices and having faith in God’s plan for me, my dreams have come true.”
Alvarado said the support of her professors at Palomar College helped her pursue her dream. Before she attended Palomar, Alvarado said people discouraged her when she talked about her dream.
“Palomar College put aside my ethnicity and they gave me the options that I needed,” she said. “The professors helped me find my voice and focus on my purpose and my career goal.”
Alvarado is hoping to transition to a job as an engineer at NASA, and at 40 years old, she hasn’t given up on her dream of becoming an astronaut. Inspired by discussions in one of her Palomar College classes, Alvarado also hopes to inspire other women seeking jobs in engineering.
“An English 100 class with Ms. Christina Jayne made me start thinking about gender roles and stereotypes. It made me think about how I was living and the future of my field,” Alvarado said. “I want to encourage other women to pursue careers regardless of the position or label. Everything is possible if you trust in yourself and in God.”