Meet a student who is turning her curiosity about computers into engineering experience
As a high school student, Pamela Marrero enjoyed helping in her school’s IT department, where she opened computers up, fixed screens and tightened hinges. But she wanted to go even deeper to understand the software and circuitry on which the computers ran.
“I wanted to understand them at a deeper level, such as how things communicated with each other and how everything worked together in both hardware and software,” she said.
Now a rising fourth-year student at Case Western Reserve University, Marrero has had ample opportunity to do just that with a major in computer engineering. This summer and fall, she’s completing a seven-month research and development co-op with Pickering Interfaces Inc.
As she looked to complement her interests and coursework, she said: “Pickering ticked all my boxes.”
Marrero is gaining real-world experience testing products to ensure they work properly and meet design specifications, examining circuit boards and measuring electrical signals. This work has given her valuable insights into “how the analog and digital worlds intertwine.”
Marrero secured the co-op with help from Genine Apidone, director of cooperative education at Case School of Engineering. Resources like the Cooperative Education Program have been integral to Marrero’s education.
“I was originally drawn to CWRU because I wanted to explore a different state and [it has a] wonderful engineering program,” said Marrero, who is originally from the Dominican Republic and now lives in New Jersey. “However, what truly made me love CWRU has been the connections that I have been able to forge with other students, faculty and professors here.”
Marrero has found the support offered through the multicultural affairs, financial aid, study abroad and co-op offices particularly helpful. With minors in mathematics and Chinese, she also has found ample support through those departments as well as the Department of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering.
Marrero is highly involved on campus with Esperanza Líderes Avanzado, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Kung Fu Club, Woodcrafting Club and the Mandarin Club. She also works part-time as a team shift leader at One to One Fitness Center. Last fall, she spent a semester abroad at the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan.
As a first-generation college student, the Nord Family Emerging Scholars Program has played a significant role in her educational journey. Describing the transition from high school to college as a “rollercoaster,” Marrero said the program made it easier.
Coordinated by Arthur Evenchik and Stephen Haynesworth, the Nord Family Emerging Scholars Program provides academic and emotional support for CWRU students who have not had as many educational opportunities as many of the university’s undergraduate students.
During the summer of 2023, Marrero got a head start on her college education with math and English courses taught by Teresa Contenza and Walt Hunter, respectively. Marrero said this helped even the educational playing field.
She also found strong support from other members of her cohort, who she describes as family.
“There have been many ups and downs since it is most definitely not easy, but I know that I am getting closer and closer to becoming a version of myself that my family, friends, and the high school version of me—who had dreams greater than the moon—could be proud of,” Marrero said. “For that, I must thank all the people who have helped me along the way, from high school to college.”
As she looks ahead to a future career, Marrero is still exploring the opportunities available, but she is strongly considering hardware design engineering and firmware engineering.
