When an earthquake hit Mexico City in 1985, young Ali Guarneros Luna's world was shaken to the core. But she also learned two lessons from the natural disaster: "That I only have one life and should be grateful for what I have," she told Women of Color magazine.

Taking inspiration from adversity, she went on to become an aerospace engineer at NASA AMES.

Ali Guarneros Luna is a trailblazer. She is part of the NASA team that built the first U.S. satellite, which launched from the International Space Station (ISS). The experience facilitated the ISS jettison process involving CubeSats.

"My mother had a second-grade education and was an avid reader who loved to purchase encyclopedias. It was my routine to come home after school and read them," she said. "One of the books described the space shuttle and the engineers who built it. This inspired me to want to become the Aerospace Engineer that would follow in their footsteps. So, at age 7, I declared my degree. It ultimately took me 30 years to circle back to that dream, but it was the inspiration, perseverance, and resilience of my younger self that never left and has brought me to this moment."

Guarneros Luna was asked to help support the family at age 18 and had to put her education on hold, later becoming a single parent of four.

“Do not let the circumstances define you, you determine your destiny. Be the change you want to see in this world. Be persistent, resilient, and listen to your inner voice," she said.

Ali Guarneros Luna is a 2018 nominee for the Women of Color Outstanding Technical Contribution in Government Award. Her goal is to inspire women to pursue careers in aerospace and make it the norm to work side-by-side with men.