By Design: How Lianne R. de Leon Found Her Place in Engineering
Entering engineering without early access to resources pushed Lianne R. de Leon to navigate the field on her own with nothing but her passion. For this University of California, Davis, mechanical engineering student, that uncertainty shaped both her challenges and her purpose.
Growing up in a less affluent community with limited STEM exposure, de Leon remembers peers recognizing her talent in math and science and being encouraged to pursue engineering. However, with little guidance on how to pursue engineering, few resources, frequent teacher turnover and the discouraging gender gap in the field, she found it difficult to navigate a path to engineering and build the skills needed to succeed.
“I knew I wanted to be an engineer,” she recalled. “I just didn’t know how to get there.”
Building Community in Engineering
Since coming to UC Davis, de Leon has found community across multiple engineering clubs and programs. Initially drawn to project management, she joined Space and Satellite Systems, or SSS, during her second year and quickly stepped into leadership, where she noticed that engineering leads were predominantly male.
Despite the gender gap, she served as SSS co-president and focused on strengthening communication between engineering and administrative teams to ensure projects ran smoothly. De Leon began to feel and see herself not just as someone who organizes projects, but as an engineer capable of contributing technically with the support of her peers.
“I found a home among ambitious, creative engineers,” de Leon said.
In the spring of 2025, her involvement as an intern in the Davis Undergraduate Engineering Network, or DUEN, further expanded her confidence and offered another sense of belonging, especially through the guidance of her mentors. After completing the intern program and contributing to the development of WindTrax, an energy-efficient evaporative cooling fan, she has returned as the professional relations officer to help connect other students with volunteer opportunities and industry mentors.
But her most impactful out-of-the-classroom experiences have been with LEADR, a College of Engineering retention program that supports students through mentorship. Grasping the importance of community and gaining hands-on engineering experiences, de Leon’s involvement in the LEADR program has shaped her academic knowledge and her identity as a mentor.
As a peer mentor in LEADR, facilitating and providing support for other students, she often hears concerns that extend beyond coursework. She credits LEADR’s community-centered structure for fostering long-term success through consistent advising and strong industry connections — offering support that many students from under-resourced backgrounds may not have experienced before.
“[LEADR doesn’t] let you disappear,” she said. “They want to make sure you’re okay.”
Pursuing mechanical engineering at UC Davis, de Leon has become acutely aware of what it means to be a woman in a discipline where women make up only about a third of the engineering student population.
One of de Leon’s most unforgettable moments was meeting a female UC Davis electrical engineering alum who came to speak at Summer Bridge, a two-week-long LEADR experience in which students build community, learn about campus resources and prepare to transition to UC Davis and into the engineering discipline before the new academic year begins. Hearing her speak about her own experiences of struggles and accomplishments, de Leon felt a sense of reassurance as a fellow female engineer.
“She showed a lot of resilience, and she really inspired me to keep going,” de Leon said.
A Passion for CAD
Through LEADR, she was introduced to NACME, a nonprofit organization that provides research and scholarships to enhance the domestic workforce in the fields of engineering and computer science. NACME sponsored her CAD, or computer-aided design, Fusion 360 certification. Currently, she is working toward an associate-level certification to further her passions and qualifications in 3D modeling.
At Autodesk, a platform for creating 3D models, de Leon held the position of Autodesk Campus Champion, specializing in the software Fusion. Serving as a bridge between the company and the UC Davis community, she promoted Fusion across campus and connected courses and organizations with Autodesk resources. In January, she was officially recognized as an Autodesk Design & Make Ambassador and now leads CAD workshops, holds office hours to provide technical support and builds community among engineers on campus.
For de Leon, CAD is more than just a technical skill. Beyond mastering software tools, it challenges her to approach problems critically and create designs that serve a meaningful function. Working with CAD, she is driven by the commitment to help other students feel assured that hands-on engineering skills are attainable and less daunting.
That commitment came to life in early January, when she supported the Biomedical Engineering Society in leading a CAD workshop ahead of their annual Make-a-Thon, a 72-hour interdisciplinary design competition where students develop solutions to real-world healthcare and biomedical challenges. During the workshop, she walked students through key modeling skills and led them to assemble a functional hinge inside Fusion through hands-on experimentation.
“It’s been incredibly rewarding to help students build foundational design skills and see their confidence grow with each step,” de Leon said.
Creating Pathways for Others
As de Leon approaches her final years at UC Davis, her goals extend beyond her own career. She strives to make engineering more accessible for students who, like her, didn’t see a clear path at the start. Remaining in contact with her former schools and speaking with students who remind her of her younger self, she hopes to redefine what belonging in STEM can look like.
Upon finishing her degree, she intends to take the Fundamentals of Engineering, or FE, exam. Taking the FE exam will allow her to become an Engineer-in-Training. Ultimately, she aspires to become a Professional Engineer, one who has earned a license to practice engineering. De Leon keeps herself motivated by reminding herself to work hard and stay committed to her academic approach.
Hearing ‘you can do it’ means something different when it comes from someone who’s walked the same path.”
“I really want to stick the label on it, like I’m a Professional Engineer,” she explained. “I am the real deal. I’m not just someone who has a degree.”
De Leon’s advice to students from similar backgrounds is simple but powerful: Find people who understand your journey, as it takes a village to raise a child.
“Hearing ‘you can do it’ means something different when it comes from someone who’s walked the same path.”