![Virginia Limon](_news-images/OCEN-News-Limon-17Oct2019.jpg)
“I was raised by a single mom who started her own business when I was in fourth grade so she could spend more time with my sister and I,” Limon said. “Money was tight when we were growing up, but my mom was there for everything and I wouldn’t change that for the world.”
In 2013 Limon earned her first degree from Sam Houston State University in instructional technology and landed a position as an instructional technology supervisor for the West Campus Open Access Labs at Texas A&M University. Today, she is working toward a degree in ocean engineering at Texas A&M University at Galveston and has started a Marine Technology Society/Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (MTS/SNAME) chapter on campus to bring more opportunities and exposure to her fellow ocean engineers.
Q. What is your dream job?
A. My dream job is an engineering project manager that allows me to travel the world but still make time for my family.
Q. What drew you to ocean engineering?
A. I specifically chose ocean engineering because the water has always been my passion. When I was in middle school I wanted to be a marine biologist because I loved the ocean. That plus a love for the water. It is what I was born for.
![Buildings on Texas A&M Galveston campus](_news-images/OCEN-News-Limon-Galveston-17Oct2019.jpg)
Q. Why did you decide to pursue a second undergraduate degree in a field different from your first?
A. I decided to go back to school to pursue this degree because I come from a family of engineers and accountants, so engineering is in my blood and my mind is always thinking about solutions to problems. We all enjoy solving puzzles. I love seeing problems and designing solutions, so I wanted to come back for a degree in engineering. With my environmental degree and my ocean engineering degree, I can be closer and more knowledgeable about my passions: the ocean and problem solving.
Q. What has been your greatest accomplishment in school? Outside of the classroom?
A. I had to retake every math from college algebra because I hadn’t taken a math class in almost 10 years. I completed college algebra through Calculus 3 in a year while taking Physics 1 and 2.
My greatest accomplishment outside of the classroom would be establishing a local MTS/SNAME chapter at Texas A&M Galveston. Our campus didn’t have any active professional engineering societies and I wanted to change that to help my fellow engineers make the contacts that will be so important for their future careers.
Q. What are you most proud of?
A. Being an Aggie. I am always very proud to see my fellow Sea Aggies making an impact in our community and in their careers.
Q. Do you have any key mentors or people that have greatly influenced your career choice or who you are?
A. My mom has been my biggest influencer and supporter. She is just an amazing person. She goes out of her way to help others. She knows me better than anyone. Even though she is a former Longhorn, she’s always supported my decision to be an Aggie.
Q. If you had to provide some advice to a junior in high school thinking about taking a similar path to yours, what kind of advice would you give them and why?
A. It’ll be tough and require more dedication and time than most other non-engineering majors, but it will be worth it. You’ll make friends along the way with similar interests and goals which will help keep you focused. They will also cheer you on when you are struggling.