If You Can See One, You Can Be One

The roots of medicine run deep in my family through many generations of physicians. Inspired by my love for the technology that fuels advances in healthcare to improve lives, I embarked on the engineering path with encouragement from my high school calculus teacher. Engineering isn’t always about tangible, mechanical things. Engineers are shaping the future with ideas that have yet to be conceived, much less created.

 One of the most inspiring traits of engineers is their sense of optimism—they see a problem and they instinctively want to solve it. They are also naturally curious and constantly thinking about how to make the future better. Technology can help solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Through my engineering experiences in fields ranging from digital imaging to genome technology, I have developed the confidence to apply that knowledge in a new way to really make a difference. And many times in my career, I’ve had a boss, colleague or employee see an opportunity that breaks the boundaries of what I previously thought was humanly possible. My leadership success has come through cultivating innovation by bringing out the best in each individual, and then fostering a can-do, positive collective spirit that delivers transformative ideas.

 At Illumina, I get the opportunity to do something truly meaningful. Our entire mission is to unlock the power of the genome to improve human health. It’s a challenge that you feel compelled to put your heart into and to really make a difference. Whether it be to help families so they don’t suffer with disease or enable everyone to live a healthier and more prosperous life. Despite making a big career change from one industry to a completely different one, my optimism and curiosity continue to drive me to address the cost and accessibility of genome technology into meaningful insights to benefit everyone. One human being has enormous possibility to change the world, and with talented colleagues that possibility grows exponentially.

 I saw engineering in a whole new light through that inspirational calculus teacher, despite the fact I really didn’t know any engineers. In high school, I didn’t know any female engineers but if you see one it may inspire you to be one. Girls are motivated to help people, to change the world, to make lives better for their friends, their families, and their loved ones. This Ada Lovelace Day, I am so pleased to represent my profession and passion to the next generation of engineers.