fostering innovation and excellence
Yulista is committed to increasing gender diversity by prioritizing the recruitment and development of women engineers.
We offer training programs, mentorship opportunities, and a supportive work environment tailored to the unique challenges faced by women in engineering. Read the stories and experiences of our skilled engineers at Yulista. We focus on delivering innovation and reliability to mission-ready clients. Our expertise ensures top-notch capabilities for federal, defense, intelligence, state, local, and commercial sectors. Engineer a future where your impact truly matters!
Yulista has provided an opportunity for me to use my vast and diverse professional skills to continue my growth, development, and advancement in the Engineering field.
As a child, I was intrigued with how things worked and would embark upon researching the functionality of equipment; always trying to determine how things operated. Deeply embedded within me was an unyielding desire to make things more efficient. These traits led me to into the field of engineering.
KENDRA HALL
Yulista Mfg, Integration, Mods Group
Profession: Supplier Quality Manager
Location: Huntsville, AL
Born into a family of 5 girls, my parents relentlessly instilled the importance of education and resilience into all of us at a very young age. They never placed any bounds on what we could accomplish. With this mindset, I have obtained a BS in Electrical Engineering from Tuskegee University, a Master of Management from Florida Institute of Technology, and a Master of Electrical Engineering from the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH). With one class remaining, I will complete my Master of Industrial and Systems Engineering degree from UAH during the Spring 2025 semester. At that time, I will also begin my dissertation in pursuit of my PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering.
I began my career as a Reliability Engineer and have had the opportunity to support multiple roles; all leading me to joining Yulista in 2017 as a Quality Engineer. I later transitioned into the Engineering division, as a Technical Project Manager. In this role, I provided technical oversight to the Aviation, Ground Support, and Blackhawk Program Offices. Currently, I am the Supplier Quality Manager providing support to all Yulista Subsidiaries, managing over 2 thousand suppliers and supporting the development and implementation of the Supplier Quality Dashboard which provides imperative supplier performance data and metrics. Yulista has provided an opportunity for me to use my vast and diverse professional skills to continue my growth, development, and advancement in the Engineering field. Yulista has supported my educational goals by providing financial support through their continuing education program. I am passionate about helping other women realize their full potential, specifically in Engineering & Technology.
If I had the opportunity to give one piece of advice to an aspiring female engineer, I would tell her to be unwavering in the pursuit of her goals and aspirations. I would also share my favorite poem “Equipment” by Edgar A. Guest.
From research and development to designing mechanical, electrical, or chemical systems, there’s something for everyone. Find what you’re passionate about. Then find a mentor to help you in your journey. Find a company that is flexible and encourages you to be creative. Work for what you want, embrace challenges, and stay curious. You belong in this exciting field!
I started my journey in Engineering while working as a technician on a production line building printed circuit card assemblies. I always wanted to improve and streamline things, and one of the Manufacturing Engineers at the time noticed. He stepped in as a mentor and encouraged me to pursue Engineering. Truthfully, I wasn’t much interested in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, but Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE)?
ISE dealt with metrics and analysis and optimization methods, all of which I loved! I earned my bachelor’s degree in ISE while working full time and going to classes in the evenings and on the weekends. After completing my degree, I worked as a Manufacturing Engineer, then as a Quality Engineer, where I took on more responsibilities and autonomy. I now work as a Systems Architect building workflows and developing business process automation.
Yulista has provided many opportunities along the way to grow and learn new things. There’s always a puzzle to solve, a process to streamline. Working at Yulista has allowed me to collaborate with a diverse team of people and gain a broader perspective so that we can build better solutions. We stay updated, learn new tools, and adapt as technology evolves. Twenty years later I’m still trying to improve and streamline things, and I still love it!
What would I say to girls/women interested in pursuing a career in STEM? Engineering is such a diverse discipline. From research and development to designing mechanical, electrical, or chemical systems, there’s something for everyone. Find what you’re passionate about. Then find a mentor to help you in your journey. Find a company that is flexible and encourages you to be creative. Work for what you want, embrace challenges, and stay curious.
You belong in this exciting field!
My dad encouraged me to pursue electrical engineering because I was a good math student and there are so many options for EE’s in industry. It was great advice and I often encourage people who may be intimidated by a career in Engineering or STEM not to let fear hold them back!!
LYNN TROY
Yulista Technical Services Group
Profession: Electrical Engineer / President
Location: Huntsville, AL
If I could give any advice to women interested in pursuing a career in the STEM industry, I would tell them to seek out opportunities that will cultivate, inspire, and propel them to engage in hands-on projects in new fields without fear of failure.
I was born and raised in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia, just a stone’s throw from the city’s famous community of historically Black colleges and universities. The proximity to academia and scholarly pursuits served as a catalyst to my own quest for higher education. At my core, I always had a desire to pursue a career in engineering even though I was uncertain which pathway would capture my interest.
DEBORAH SPEAR
Yulista Technical Services Group
Profession: Senior Electrical Engineer
Location: Huntsville, AL
It was not until I took a high school electronics elective class that I knew this field was more interesting than any other. Upon graduation from an engineering magnet high school, I pursued my bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering at Vanderbilt University.
During my undergraduate years, I volunteered to coordinate science fairs at a small Christian school affiliated with my church. This opportunity ignited a passion for teaching STEM to young people which later materialized after working several years as an electrical design engineer in the automotive entertainment industry. During one of the company’s downsizing phases, I decided to return to school to pursue a career in education while teaching engineering and technology education at local middle and high schools. After receiving my Master of Arts for Teachers and Doctorate of Education degrees from the University of Georgia, I continued to work in both industries as opportunities arose. Transitioning between the two industries allowed me to develop new engineering skills as well as maintain a pulse on the developing trends in STEM education.
Working for Yulista has enhanced my unique career by allowing me to engage both skillsets to meet project needs. Yulista has opened the door for me to expand my career in the field of defense and advanced weapons systems. As the need arises and new skillsets are deemed essential, Yulista has encouraged me to continue educational and expertise advancement to meet evolving industry standards. Moreover, project-based interests seem limitless at Yulista as they encourage the exploration to develop new solutions to technological challenges. This optimistic posture towards growth is essential to the success of any modern workforce.
If I could give any advice to women interested in pursuing a career in the STEM industry, I would tell them to seek out opportunities that will cultivate, inspire, and propel them to engage in hands-on projects in new fields without fear of failure. Each endeavor to grow and develop in this field will require a healthy investment of time, energy and faith coupled with a strong sense of fearlessness. Failure may be unavoidable, but defeat is optional.
“If there is not struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass
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