Raquel Padilla, an electrical and computer engineering alumna from the UH Cullen College, was recently spotlighted in the Lunar Cougar. In a Q&A feature conducted by Joelle Carson, Padilla spoke about her introduction to the world of engineering, her favorite UH memories and her career trajectory and future goals.
Padilla, who grew up in a working-class town in the Galveston area, said the diversity she encountered on the UH campus has played a large role in her life.
“It was very eye-opening for me to see all the different cultures, different personalities — different things that I wasn’t exposed to where I used to live. I learned about so much outside of the classroom just by being [on the UH campus],” she said.
She also said that she hopes to give back to local communities, especially those like the one she came from, by encouraging others to pursue higher education.
“My biggest goal is to inspire people from low-income communities to pursue engineering or other college programs,” she said. “I want others to know that they can do it.”
Padilla graduated in 2001 and currently works as a principal engineer for EXP Engineering International.
The Lunar Cougar is a blog dedicated to sharing the “stellar” stories of UH alumni.