A COMMON THEME AMONG ENGINEERS tends to be a love for math and physics. But Rebecca Lin confessed she found math class to be kind of boring and whiled away the time dissecting her rather sophisticated Kuru Toga mechanical pencils instead.
“I loved stationery and had all sorts of tapes, pencils, and pens,” she said. “Putting them back together was probably one of the reasons why I found MechE to be so engaging.”
Lin put those interests to good use at the University of Texas at Austin, where she initially considered a more traditional design path. She’d always been drawn to making things, but design felt too broad. Mechanical engineering, on the other hand, gave her a way to keep the tactile side while building a more technical foundation.
And UT Austin offered a valuable option for creative individuals like herself: the school had a design and manufacturing pathway, along with a design strategies certification. “I thought those were ways I could combine my love for design and playing with different things hands-on, as well as ensuring financial stability for myself,” she said.
Into the Real World
Entering the workforce, Lin said she was very indecisive about where she wanted to go. “I guess, spoiler alert, as long as you have transferable skills, it doesn't really matter what industry you go into,” she said.
Nike was her first major industry stop. The appeal was obvious: “One of [my interests] is fashion and technology,” Lin said. “I saw Nike doing really cool things in the athletic space, and there’s a need for engineers to help design and create and manufacture those pieces of apparel, sports equipment, or footwear.”
An internship led to a full-time role working on Nike Flyknit, a knitting technology with “so many different ways to customize it, change the materials, make it more sustainable,” she said. “This was my dream job, and I thought I'll be here forever and ever and ever.”
Reality didn't quite turn out to be that way. Textiles were different from the rigid materials she aspired to work with, and she wanted more of the exploration phase of a design engineer. “I felt like my professional development would be better somewhere where I had more responsibility and control over what I was working on,” she said. “That was a bitter pill to swallow, but it turned out for the best.”
She shifted to an R&D role at PASCOR, in high-voltage electrical switchgear, which offered her a fuller view of early concept design to product manufacturing. “I had a little lab and all the tools I could need. I was designing the technician’s experience of making the products,” she said. “Taking them from napkin drawings to real-world production and making an impact.”
Now working at Eaton as a senior engineer, Lin said she is still “getting [her] feet wet” with the day-to-day work, much of which includes SOLIDWORKS, 3D modeling, creating drawings, and understanding customer needs. Once she’s more familiarized, Lin is excited about exploring new product development.
“One of the things that I specifically highlight in any of the jobs that I’ve had and will take in the future is that proximity to production,” she said. “I think it’s invaluable that we’re able to connect with those who are directly making our product hands-on, so we can catch problems earlier, build a relationship, and solve any issues that come up with relative ease.”
Lin once wrote in a university application essay that engineering is like being a “magical girl,” referencing Madoka Magica, one of her top anime picks. Her more recent watches have been The Apothecary Diaries and Witch Hat Atelier.
“Part of the reason why people hesitate to get into STEM or participate in societies is because there’s this perception that it’s only for certain types of people of a certain age, gender, or ethnicity. Bringing more visibility and speaking about experiences, like what we’re doing today, I think will help a lot.”
—Rebecca Lin, Senior Engineer, Eaton
Future-Forward Thinking
“The electrical industry is thriving,” Lin said. AI and data centers are certainly boosting some of that progress, but there are lots of exciting applications to look forward to. The products and technologies she works with could someday connect to underwater or space opportunities, especially being based in Denver, a growing startup and aerospace ecosystem.
She also has her eye on systems engineering and developing systems that enable positive change. “That would be a lot of fun, applying that to non-profit work,” she said. “Engineers Without Borders is in Denver, and they may or may not be roping me into something.”
Lin is no stranger to organizations. She was heavily involved in ASME during college and has more recently been active with the Society of Women Engineers and FIRST Robotics. She remembers not having much mechanical engineering support when she was younger, and cares about providing that mentorship to young engineers.
“Making it easier for young people to make an impact, even if they don't have the skills right now—building that vision for them and that hope is just so important,” Lin said.
And yes, that may require meeting the next generation where they are, even if it means creating “brain rot” content.
“I'm only three years out of college, and things have already changed so much for the next generation,” she said. “Being on trend is exhausting, but I think communicates the idea to them a little bit easier.”
She believes engineering organizations can do more to reach young people by lowering costs, partnering with groups like Girl Scouts and FIRST, and making STEM feel more relatable. Visibility matters, she said, especially for people who may still see engineering as meant for only certain ages, genders, or ethnicities.
Sarah Alburakeh is strategic content editor.
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