Justina Sanchez

Biography:

Justina Sanchez is a Quality Engineer III at TÜV SÜD America.  She has been in the Testing, Inspection & Certification industry for the last 20 years. Justina holds a degree in Computer & Electronic Engineering of Technology. She started in Product Safety ensuring global compliance on products before they go to the market. From testing, inspection and full evaluations within Product Safety to auditing all North American labs, ensuring they meet the highest standards of Quality and compliance, along with external accreditation body requirements such as OSHA, the A2LA and the IECEE. Justina is also a Technical Assessor on behalf of the IECEE and multilateral certification system based on IEC International Standards. Where she audits other labs around the globe ensuring compliance. 

Due to the lack of role model in engineering while growing up, Justina created the Extraordinary Engineers: Female Engineers of This Day & Time book series, where the book highlights current female engineers and provide insight to their engineering journey and role and responsibility. Volume 3 of this book series is set to release June 23, 2026. 

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Valeri Paul

Biography:

Valeri Paul aligns with organizations, like San Diego IEEE, where she serves as the Women in Engineering Chair. The organization is an extension of her consulting work with ed tech start-ups using machine learning to clarify business strategy and build equity, especially in underserved communities. Her research includes 16 published proceedings and presentations on topics like adoption of new innovation, AI in financial and social media marketing. At San Diego State University Valeri received her Bachelor of Science in Health Science and her first Master of Science, in Educational Technology.  Her Ed.D is from Pepperdine University along with a second Masters’ in Business Analytics.

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Grethel Cabuto of Thrive Center of Excellence

Biography:

"Her journey as Engineer started back in 2010 when she decided to be an Industrial Engineer in Mexicali, B.C., Mexico. With +10 years of experience in different type of Industries Grethel has been able to deploy her passion about Continuous Improvement. She started working as an Engineer, and then over the years she ended up in Operational Excellence Leadership Roles. Most of her career was done in Mexico, and now she has been working in a new journey for 4 years in San Diego, California in Industries like Aerospace Defense, Biotech and most recently Fintech.

She wants to share her story and support other women in pursuing Engineering degrees but also, let them know that with the correct preparation and perseverance you can pursue Leadership Roles in Engineering." 

Dr. Tracy Nguyen of Essential Eyecare Optometry

Biography:

Dr. Tracy Nguyen’s remarkable journey from a Vietnamese refugee to a trailblazing advocate for women in STEM is a powerful testament to resilience, leadership, and purpose. After arriving in the U.S. in 1975, her passion for education led her to earn a B.S. in Biology from UC San Diego and a Doctor of Optometry from the Southern California College of Optometry. Today, as the FY24 and FY25 Vice President of SWE San Diego, Dr. Nguyen plays a vital role in advancing community, access, and opportunity for underrepresented students and professionals in STEM.

In addition to her leadership within SWE, Dr. Nguyen actively serves on advisory boards and committees that drive initiatives to expand equity and access for marginalized communities. Her outstanding contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the NCWIT AiC National Educator Award 2025, SWE Spark and Engaged Advocate Awards, WE24 DEI&B Individual Recognition, and recognition as one of the San Diego Business Journal’s Top 50 Women of Influence in Engineering for three consecutive years (2022–2024). Most recently, she was also honored as one of the 2025 Non-Profit Board Leaders of Influence. Yet, for Dr. Nguyen, the most meaningful achievement lies not in the awards, but in the countless young women she has mentored—empowering them to break barriers and lead boldly in STEM, creating a legacy grounded in inclusion, innovation, and lasting impact