Across the country, women are stepping into manufacturing and engineering roles that are transforming the way we build, create, and innovate. Yet women still make up less than 30 percent of the manufacturing workforce. At MiraCosta College’s Technology Career Institute (TCI), programs are designed to change that by providing students with the technical skills, confidence, and leadership training needed to thrive in today’s workforce.

For Bianca Johnson, a military veteran, the path into engineering began with hesitation. “The word engineering alone made me feel like I wasn’t smart enough. I was afraid to try because I thought I’d inevitably fail. As soon as it was mentioned, I was like, ‘Oh no, I can’t do that,’” she recalled.

After touring TCI’s Engineering Technician Program, Bianca discovered possibilities she hadn’t imagined before. Encouraged by her husband and inspired by the hands-on projects she observed, she decided to enroll.

She spoke with students in Cohort 28, led by Professor Kate MacArevey-Colello, and saw herself enjoying the same type of work. The combination of stimulating subject matter, the chance to engage her mind and her hands, meaningful social interaction, and the guidance of an exceptionally skilled female instructor left a lasting impression.

The Engineering Technician Program, a 600-hour accelerated course that prepares students to immediately enter the workforce after completion, provided Bianca with a space where trial and error were a key part of learning.

The program’s collaborative and supportive environment soon became a turning point. “We were going to mess up and fail, but Kate wasn’t going to let us drown. She’d let us know that it’s okay to not get everything right. We’re all learning at different paces, and we just need to try,” Bianca shared.

Bianca’s capstone project, an infrared automated tunnel enticement rat trap, affectionately called “IRATE,” revealed how far she had come. “I thought my project was too simple while I was putting it together, but then I realized how confusing it was to someone on the outside. I became a little nerd, and I didn’t even know it. Sometimes my husband would stare at me and say he had no idea what I was talking about because I’d say something like programmable logic controller or variable frequency drive. I forgot I wasn’t talking to my classmate or the instructor.”

Today, Bianca is exploring opportunities in biomedical, marine, and aerospace engineering, and considering advanced study at UC Riverside. Her journey is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when students are supported, challenged, and encouraged to take the first step.

Through MiraCosta College's Technology Career Institute, Bianca has not only found a new career path but also discovered capabilities she never knew she had, proving that it's never too late to change.