Teresa's parents migrated to the U.S. from Mexico in 1979. Unable to speak English, they found work in orchards and packing sheds in Chelan, Wash. Teresa is the second of the couple's five girls, all born in the U.S.

However, because their parents couldn't afford childcare, the girls were sent to live with their grandparents in the San Jose de la Montana village in the Mexican state of Michoacan.

They attended school in Chelan starting in the first grade but returned to Mexico each summer until middle school when they became involved in sports and other activities.

She didn't like attending ESL classes, so in a demonstration of the "can do" attitude that would explain her future success, she learned the language quickly and was no longer in ESL classes by second grade.

Her college-bound friends influenced Teresa's inspiration to attend college. She visited three universities while in high school: Gonzaga, the University of Washington, and Seattle U, and decided Seattle U was the place for her.

She applied to Seattle U and was accepted. Throughout high school, Teresa was active in Future Farmers of America (FFA), competing in speaking events at the national level. This experience would serve her well in her professional career.

She ran for FFA Vice President, a state office, during her senior year and won. Although it would delay her college start for a year, it was a fantastic leadership opportunity.

Then, a few months before the end of her term, Teresa became pregnant. She resigned from her office, moved out of her parents' home, rented an apartment, and began working full-time at Farmers Insurance.

Things were tough, but Teresa's dream of attending college remained alive. With the support of her sisters, who helped with childcare, and an understanding boss who allowed for flexibility in her work schedule, she enrolled full-time at Wenatchee Valley Community College.

After two years, she graduated with honors and an A.A. degree. Pursuing her dream of a four-year degree, Teresa transferred to Seattle U as a junior majoring in business.

Her parents offered to care for her young daughter in Chelan so she could focus on school. Teresa financed her Seattle U education with scholarships, student loans, and part-time jobs.

She lived on campus and studied hard during the week, then traveled to Chelan on weekends to be with her daughter. After two years, she graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Business Administration.

She remained engaged with Seattle U for a time, serving on the Alumni Board of Governors. Teresa's Boeing career began shortly after graduation with a tip from a Seattle U graduate student she'd met who was a Boeing employee.

The grad student was moving to another position and encouraged Teresa to apply for her old job as a cost estimator in the Interiors Responsibility Center.

Teresa interviewed for the work and was hired. Over the next 15 years, she rose quickly through the ranks at Boeing, learning the entire value stream of the supply chain.

In her first supply chain post, she worked directly with executives, one of which encouraged her to apply for Boeing's Leadership Development Excellence Program, designed for employees with future leadership potential.

She was accepted into the program, a two-year opportunity to learn and network. After graduating from the leadership program, Teresa was rotated to a position in the factory where she fully understood the production system: how airplanes are built, how quality control works, the supply chain, and what happens when mechanics don't have the needed parts.

After two years in the factory, another mentor told Teresa it was time she got some hands-on experience in procurement. She moved to the 787 program, working with airline customers and designers and managing projects to deliver the interiors that customers wanted.

During this time, Teresa joined Boeing's new Emerging Leaders Program. She was very active and vocal, helping to design the program and pave the way for future emerging leaders.

After completing the program, her career trajectory moved into international work. Teresa's first managerial role in procurement required travel to Germany, New Zealand, and London.

After a few years, she was promoted to Senior Manager, Field Operations in Japan. During her time in Japan, Teresa remained connected to her U.S. teams in Everett, WA, and Charleston, NC.

After returning to the States, Teresa wanted to return to the factory and requested a rotation into fabrication. Teresa's leadership style was getting noticed at the executive level, and her name began to be put forward on interview slates for executive positions.

The first executive-level job she landed was as a director with a newly formed enterprise team, Global Field Operations. She was charged with setting up new structures that entailed a lot of integration, calling upon her experience in supply chain, field operations, and international.

From there, she was interviewed for another promotion. This successful interview landed Teresa her position as Senior Director of BCA Boeing Production Systems. After starting this new position, Teresa was invited to participate in The Boeing Company's first Racial Equity Task Force.