Over the past two years, an extraordinary journey has been unfolding for Grecia Paola Siono Gutierrez. She relentlessly pursued her dream of going to school in the U.S. to study engineering with her sights set on eventually working for NASA. These goals were achieved before her Spring 2023 Graduation from COD.

For two years, Grecia, her brother Enrique and her mother drove from Mexico every week and rented a room so the siblings could earn their associate degrees. In 2022, the duo was selected to participate in NASA Minority University Research and Education Project Innovations in Space Technology. During the program, students designed, built, and launched a “CubeSat” satellite over the Salton Sea to measure the sea’s immense carbon dioxide emissions.

“Our family’s journey has been worth it because COD programs are amazing,” she shares.

Grecia’s remarkable achievements have resulted in her selection as a prestigious Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholar. This scholarship significantly eases her financial burden, offering up to $55,000 per year toward pursuing her Electrical Engineering degree. Recently she was named a 2024 Brooke Owens Fellow, which recognizes exceptional undergraduate women and gender minorities in aerospace. Over the summer, she will intern at Blue Origin, working on the lunar transportation team. Her story is one of resilience, unity, and boundless ambition. As Grecia and her brother continue at UC San Diego, Grecia’s spirit remains unbreakable, her aspirations reaching as high as the very skies she aims to explore.

Support COD Foundation’s Fund for Student Success to enrich academic offerings and help COD provide the quality education students like Grecia and her brother Enrique deserve. Call 760.773.2561 or email ehernandez@collegeofthedesert.edu.