When She Came To The US, She Had $300, Now She Leads NASA Mars Rover Engineering Team

By Mayukh Saha / Truth Theory

When Diana Trujillo immigrated to the United States from her home in Colombia, all she had were aspirations of a better life- now she leads NASA Mars Rover division. From a very early age, this strong woman had an interest in science and outer space. And as luck would have it, she did get to fulfill her dreams just a few decades later. Most of us dream of being astronauts or astronomers, exploring the deepest recesses of the Universe, building rockets, and flying them into orbit.

But how many can actually envision their dream and turn it into reality? Diana Trujillo certainly did so. She turned her vision of having a career in science with NASA- as she is currently employed as an aerospace engineer where she leads a 45-person team at the Jet Propulsion Lab of NASA. There, her team has been in the works of creating a robotic arm for the Perseverance Mars Rover. 

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The Woman Who Leads NASA Mars Rover Had To Persevere Despite All Odds

As a young girl living in Colombia, this woman, who currently leads the NASA Mars rover, longed to go beyond the confines of the human eye and gain a far greater understanding of the universe that surrounds us. This fascination led to her taking a giant leap of faith which allowed her to achieve her dreams. Although she could clearly see her future flashing before her, it wasn’t an easy journey.

She had concerns that being an immigrant woman in a male-centric field could be an obstacle in her career. However, her dad said that her ability as a bilingual could actually be the boost that was needed to push her over the boundary. He turned into her greatest supporter and asked her to move to Miami where her aunt lived. 

So Diana Trujillo, the woman who currently leads NASA Mars rover, shifted to the United States at the young age of 17 in order to pursue a career in science. When she immigrated, she just had $300 in her pocket. But she swore to be extremely successful in her new country.

Diana Trujillo, the woman who leads NASA Mars Rover, is a symbol of strength for women all around

She managed to earn a living by taking jobs such as housekeeping in order to pay her way through Miami Dade College. There, she took classes in Aerospace Engineering and English. Such was her determination that although she had to struggle to reach school- at times changing six buses to go to her class, she never complained about her problems. Despite having to do manual labor for her job, she was grateful that she was getting the chance to achieve what she had dreamt of. 

 In her interview with CBS News, this woman who currently leads NASA Mars rover stated that she viewed everything coming her way as a major opportunity. She didn’t see the jobs as something that would be degrading her, but rather, as a means to earn food and have shelter over her head. However, the major reason why she moved to the United States was that she wanted to prove to her family that women have their own value- and it was important that men realized that. 

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But the pivotal point in the life of this woman who currently leads the NASA Mars rover came when she had to choose her major at the University of Florida. When she was sitting in the Dean’s office, she chanced upon a magazine with pictures of female astronauts- and soon, her dream became a reality. 

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Image credit: NASA on The Commons, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons