MiraCosta College is transforming lives every day. Need proof? Look no further than Kate MacArevey-Colello, a one-time stay-at-home mom who turned to MiraCosta College’s 600-hour Engineering Technician program before heading back into the workforce. MacArevey-Colello not only found a job as a manufacturing engineer almost immediately, MiraCosta has since turned to her to lead its program and build industry partnerships aimed at helping others find good-paying careers.

Her efforts, skills and professionalism have led to MacArevey-Colello to being named a finalist for a San Diego Magazine Woman of the Year award.

“It really is an honor and it’s nice to be recognized,” she said. “I’m proud of this program and I’m proud to help place my students with some of the excellent companies that are making a difference in San Diego County.”

It’s a worthwhile investment. The average annual salary for mechanical engineering technicians in the region above $60,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and virtually all program graduates find jobs in their field of study.

MacArevey-Colello’s journey to MiraCosta College was not atypical of an adult learner. Born and raised near Albany, N.Y., MacArevey-Colello had a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and had worked for a New Jersey-based manufacturing company specializing in making hand-held blood analyzers. But when she and her husband married, MacArevey-Colello put her career on hold to focus on raising a family.

The family moved to Carlsbad nearly eight years ago when MacArevey-Colello’s husband began working at Genentech in Oceanside. In 2017, while contemplating a return to the workplace, MacArevey-Colello learned about Engineering Technician Program at MiraCosta College’s Technology Career Institute. She was sold after attending an orientation.

“I learned so much from this program as far as practical work skills that I never learned in college while getting my bachelor’s degree,” she said of the 600-hour career preparation curriculum in which students secure hands-on experience with electronics, automation, robotics, and programming.

She was hired by Spectrum Plastics Group as a manufacturing engineer almost immediately, rose to the position of Plant Manager, and was later hired by Scaled Solutions Technologies as Director of Product Development before being promoted to Vice President of Product Development. Along the way, she earned her MBA at Cal State San Marcos.

The MiraCosta College Technology Career Institute reached out two years ago to see if she was interested in taking over the Engineering Technician program. She’s been there since. Responsibilities include planning, developing, and updating curriculum; expanding industry outreach; teaching essential soft skills; and managing the lab and classroom like a business. She’s also introduced a monthly ‘New Tech Tuesdays,’ in which former students, industry experts and plant managers discuss their experiences, projects, and industry trends. “The purpose is to bring students, alumni, and industry experts together to nerd out about things that are cool and new,” she said.

When a federal grant that helped fund the program expired, MacArevey-Colello reached out to manufacturing businesses in the county that have hired program graduates. One, Creative Electron, Inc., in San Marcos, is funding student scholarships to the tune of $30,000 annually to help offset tuition costs.

No wonder MacArevey-Colello is a finalist for Woman of the Year.

“It’s very important to me that this program continue,” she said. “I’ve seen the impact it’s had on me, and I see the impact it’s continuing to have on students.”