By: Ashmar Mandou

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Vanessa Nieto, a ComEd engineer, has her parents to thank for her insatiable ability to head towards the uneasy path. “I think just growing up, I knew my parents sacrificed so much,” said Nieto. “Both my parents were born in Mexico, and they went through so much for us to have a higher education and I always felt like because they sacrificed so much, they would want us to take advantage of the opportunities and I feel like you should be able to challenge yourself even though it’s not easy. Just because something is scary, if you can see yourself doing it and you want to pursue it then you should go for it.”

Graduating from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Nieto joined the ComEd team and has hit the ground running working as an associate engineer in ComEd’s grid analytics department since January. Her love and appreciation for engineering developed ten-fold when she participated in the ComEd EV Rally, previously called the ComEd Icebox Derby, in 2017. ComEd EV Rally is a summer program for young women across Chicago, ages 13 to 18, as it offers the opportunity to apply science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) principles to build and race electric go-karts. The ComEd EV Rally also provides $2,000 in scholarships money to further their STEM education. Now, Nieto shares her experience of the ComEd EV Rally program and offers up advice for young women who would like to participate next year.

Lawndale News: How has your experience been working for ComEd?
Vanessa Nieto: I really love it. I think it helps that I got to intern with ComEd and participated in the Icebox Derby…I really became a part of the ComEd family. I always had an interest in coming back throughout the summers and I think that kind of experience I had with them helped me to know what ComEd was all about, what they stand for, and I knew it would be a great environment for me to learn in.

LN: How did you find out about the ComEd Icebox Derby [EV Rally]?
VN: I found out about the ComEd Icebox Derby [EV Rally] through a Facebook post, and at the time I was a junior in high school. So, I was deciding what colleges, what majors were the best for me at the time was and as the first-generation Latina at the point in my life, it was very important to my family and me. It was overwhelming and confusing, so I was taking advantage of all the new opportunities. The ComEd Icebox Derby just showed up in my path, so I figured that would be a great opportunity. I knew I loved math and science, and I had the idea of wanting to be a math teacher, but I also wanted to do something different and explore my curiosity.

LN: How do you think that experience helped to propel your interest in the STEM fields?
VN: It was a very empowering experience for me. I think growing up I didn’t have a lot of women role models. So, I didn’t have an idea, especially of what a career in engineering looked like. I never thought of it as a possibility for me until being a part of the ComEd program. I think the program did a really good job of exposing me to the real world and presented me with various women role models, like my mentors who were both engineers at ComEd. So being able to see how women are engineers, especially in the company and talk to them about what their college experience was like, and how they got to where they were was amazing. Hearing from the motivational guest speakers throughout the program also gave me the confidence that a woman needs and that support. I think just having a support system of women and the group of friends that I met encouraged me to pursue a career in engineering that I may have been scared to pursue in the beginning.

LN: Why do you think the ComEd EV Rally continues to be successful?
VN: I think because we have so many success stories and we are able to see these women and how they aspire to do great things. The way ComEd supports the community around Chicago; I think that’s why it’s so successful. I think that’s why all the girls around Chicago want to take part in the program; there are so many great opportunities, mentors, and motivational speakers.

LN: What advice would you give to young women interested in participating in the ComEd EV Rally next year?
VN: Don’t be so shy. Everyone in the program, especially in ComEd, everyone is there to support you and share their knowledge with you. Embrace the few weeks you have in the program, ask a lot of questions. It’s a great opportunity to learn about STEM and any career you might be interested in and build that network. You never know who you will meet in the program and how they could impact the rest of your career.