Marlene Larios (left) accepts her Project Lead the Way completion medal from Kirkwood Washington Center Director Tera Pickens
Washington High School’s Marlene Larios breaks the mold and earns free college credit along the way
Marlene Larios isn’t big on stereotypes. The recent Washington (Iowa) High School graduate grew up an independent decision-maker and has always steered her own course. Her freshman year, a high school instructor approached her about college-level engineering classes and she jumped at the chance.
Most of us think of engineering as frighteningly complicated math equations understood only by guys with glasses and calculators. But Marlene didn’t see it that way. She saw it as an opportunity to try something new. “I was the only freshman girl to give it a try,” she said. “I was excited to go out to the high school and meet new people. It felt a lot different, but I really got along well, and I was happy that now I knew what to expect at the high school.”
What Marlene had gotten involved in is Project Lead the Way. Jeff Richard, Marlene’s engineering instructor at Washington High School, explained that Project Lead the Way is a statewide effort, facilitated in this area by Kirkwood Community College, to make engineering and biomedical sciences more accessible to everyday students. “It’s not just for the kids who are the top of the class,” Richard said. “It’s for anyone who wants to get a taste of all the different areas of engineering. They give it a try and see if they want to pursue it in the future.”
Students not only experience a variety of challenging topics and high-demand careers, they also earn free college credit through Kirkwood.
At the end of that initial class, only two students passed the final exam: Marlene and one other. Richard encouraged her to persist and take the next classes in the Project Lead the Way series.
“I liked it and I wanted to keep taking the classes, but at the same time I wasn’t really sure it’s what I wanted to do,” Marlene said. “I love animals and I had always wanted a career working with them. It just didn’t seem to fit.”
Then Marlene took Biotechnical Engineering. “That really encouraged me. It made me stop and think about the world around me and the opportunity to create new things,” she said. This was the channel for her and her love of animals.
By graduation, Marlene became the first female student at Washington High School to finish the Project Lead the Way series and earn the completion medal.
While the obvious barrier Marlene overcame was mastering a tough academic subject, other mountains had to be moved first. Her mother Josefina was diagnosed with cancer when Marlene was only 12, and the youngest of three children suddenly found herself thrust into a frightening and difficult situation. Her brother was overseas and her sister had recently moved out of state. Marlene’s dad Francisco worked long overnight hours and her mom suffered terrible complications from her treatments. Sometimes, Marlene didn’t get much sleep caring for her mother, and they made many late night trips to the ER. “I had a lot of absences trying to care for my mom,” Marlene said. “I’m grateful to even graduate. It was hard, but I did it. And, I’m really happy my mom is here to see me graduate.”
“Not only was her mother’s illness a barrier, but the fact that she’s a female made it more difficult,” Richard said. “There are some pretty deep stereotypes that these are not fields for women. She was willing to keep trying, to take the challenge and keep working at it. We need women in this industry because they bring a fresh point of view.”
This fall, Marlene plans to transfer the Project Lead the Way credit she earned to Kirkwood. Eventually, she will complete her studies at Iowa State University and hopes to have a career in biotechnology.
“Marlene is a door opener, not only for herself and her own future, but for other girls at the high school,” Richard said. “Marlene was the first and now there are several girls taking the classes. She’s been a great example to the other students. Even the staff has a different perspective now. They understand that all kinds of kids can succeed and benefit from these courses, not just the ones who fit the stereotype.”