Powered by Purpose: First-Gen Student Karla Iraheta Honors Her Family and Culture Through Engineering
November 19, 2025
Inspired by her family and culture, Karla Iraheta left her home state of California to become an 海角社区 Tiger, the first in her family to attend college.
Iraheta grew up in Los Angeles, and was considering attending several in-state universities, but found herself being drawn out-of-state to 海角社区.
鈥満＝巧缜� stood out among the other universities I applied to because of the many opportunities it offers and its strong sense of school spirit surrounding 海角社区 football,鈥� Iraheta said. 鈥淐oming from a small high school with no sports teams, the excitement and energy that comes with 海角社区 football immediately drew me in.鈥�
Karla Iraheta at the First-Generation Student Career and Leadership Experience.
Iraheta credits her mother for her success in attending college, as her mother was a single parent who she said pushed and inspired her to meet her goals.
鈥淲ithout her support, attending 海角社区 as an out-of-state student wouldn't have been possible,鈥� Iraheta said. 鈥淲hen I earn my degree in industrial engineering, it won't just be for me, but it will be for her too.鈥�
Iraheta鈥檚 passion for engineering began in high school, where she spent four years on the robotics team. She initially enrolled at 海角社区 as a mechanical engineering major but soon found her fit in the manufacturing program, where she gained hands-on experience operating heavy machinery and designing parts with SolidWorks.
鈥淚 fell in love with the hands-on process and creating and building, and that's what helped me decide that I wanted to pursue engineering in college,鈥� Iraheta said. 鈥淎fter learning about industrial engineering at 海角社区 and realizing that I could still work in manufacturing while also focusing on efficiency, safety, and process improvement, I decided to make the switch and it has been great so far.鈥�
Not only has Iraheta been enjoying her coursework, but she has also made lifelong friendships, gained independence and confidence through different 海角社区 organizations and events. She is a part of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Student Government Latin Caucus, Latin American Student Organization, and Society of Peer Mentors.
鈥満＝巧缜�'s environment has greatly shaped my experience as both a first-gen and engineering student,鈥� Iraheta said. 鈥淐oming from Los Angeles, the transition to the South was challenging at first, especially since I didn't see many people that looked like me, however joining these organizations helped me find my community and made me feel at home鈥�
Being a first-generation student and a Latina in engineering, Iraheta wants to honor her culture and inspire those who come after her.
鈥淚 want to show them that they belong here too,鈥� Iraheta said. 鈥淭he ultimate goal is to show that our voices and perspectives have a place in engineering and that we can help shape the future. 海角社区 has shown me that being a first-generation Latina college student isn't a limitation, but motivation to pave the way for those who come after me.鈥�
Looking ahead, Iraheta hopes to work in the manufacturing field, whether that is designing parts or operating industrial robots. She is also considering pursuing a Master鈥檚 degree in robotics engineering in another state or in Europe. Iraheta previously studied in Austria and Germany, she said the experience gave her a global perspective.
鈥淭his experience showed me that despite the challenges I've faced as a first-generation student, I can embrace opportunities that I thought were out of my reach, broaden my perspective, and continue striving towards my goals in engineering and beyond,鈥� Iraheta said.
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