Kimberly Rodriguez knows that family isn’t always blood. As a Mechanical Engineer I at Crane Aerospace & Electronics, she has found a supportive network that feels like family. 

Kimberly first spent nine months at Crane A&E as a contractor while finishing her Arizona State University degree and immediately fell in love with the company culture. “Crane has given me a very unique opportunity that not a lot of students have,” she said. "I’ve never had a working experience as great as the one I’ve had at Crane. It feels more like a family than a work environment. Everyone cares and is so nice.” 

This sense of family was truly demonstrated when Kimberly faced a significant milestone in her academic career. When she presented her capstone project, she was touched to see some of her coworkers come out and support her. “It meant so much to me to have my coworkers show up and drive 30 minutes across town to see a project I’d been working on for a whole year” she said, calling it “the best experience” she could have asked for in her last year of school.

"I've never had a working experience as great as the one I've had at Crane."

— Kimberly Rodriguez, Mechanical Engineer I

Her manager worked hard to ensure she would be hired full-time upon her graduation, further solidifying her place in the Crane family. She received her offer letter a month before she graduated, and credits HR for working directly with her and being open about the process. 

The support she has received from those around her has been instrumental in her growth. “When I was hired as a contractor, I wasn’t confident in my role because I was coming from automation,” she shared. “But my manager was super big on building my confidence and I feel like that was really important as a woman in engineering.” 

Being encouraged to stick to her ideas and stand tall have given Kimberly more confidence in her work and what she can give to the company, allowing her to take on more sustaining roles. “Crane truly just wants to give everybody the opportunity to do the best they can in their jobs,” she said. 

Looking ahead, Kimberly is eager to advance her career further. She plans to pursue another degree. Additionally, she aims to progress to at least a Manufacturing Engineer II role and explore project management opportunities. “My current manager is very supportive and has given me clear guidance on what I need to achieve these goals,” she said. 

With her own experience in mind, Kimberly offers this advice to other women in the field: “Don’t be afraid. I didn’t have that confidence coming into this position, but now that I have a support system to build me up and believe in myself, I want to tell other women, ‘You can do it.’”

“If I could go back in time, I would tell my younger self that even though my confidence isn't there yet, there are places out there that are going to root for you more than you root for yourself,” Kimberly said. “And that's what I found here at Crane.”

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