Alane Alvarez de Rivera is using her skills to plant positive seeds in

Alane Alvarez de Rivera is using her
skills to plant positive seeds in the
lives of children
By: [ANISSA LOPEZ]
Photography: [CAITLIN'S CREATIONS]
Lopez, Anissa. "Engineering the Future.
NSIDE Business Magazine Sept./Oct.
2009: 38-39. Print.
F
rom flipping the pages of professional and technical engineering
publications to authoring her own children's book series, Alane
Alvarez de Rivera is broadening children's horizons as well as her
own.
Rivera's possibilities all began with her parents'desire for her and
her siblings to be in the most conducive educational environment for
learning and developing. For Rivera and her siblings, it meant following a path
of private school education spanning grade school to high school. Coming from
a modest background, "One luxury I did have was attending Catholic schools,"
says Rivera.
LAYING THE GROUNDWORK
Upon arriving at Providence High School in 1988 she knew she was in a place
where she could succeed."Providence continued to challenge me academically
and spiritually, preparing me for the next stages of my life," says Rivera.
Knowing all these foundations were necessary for a better quality of life as
an adult, Rivera says,"Providence instilled in me the knowledge and confidence
to put myself through college at the University of Notre Dame. The skills I
gained in high school helped me persevere and never lose site of my goal of
becoming a civil engineer."
Rivera remembers Paul Hass, her pre-calculus teacher, encouraging her to
consider engineering because of her strong skills in math and science. Hass
shared with Rivera that, not only would she do well in this field, but she
would be entering a stable and evolving work environment. Little did Rivera
know that in the summer of 1987 when she participated in the Pre-freshman
Engineering Program, a summer program sponsored by the University of Texas
at San Antonio that, she would continue to explore the world of engineering in
high school and college.
Graduating as her class'Valedictorian, Rivera settled into college life. At the
University of Norte Dame, she was faced with many challenges such as being far
from her San Antonio roots and facing a rigorous and competitive engineering
curriculum. Although Rivera felt the pressures related to these new challenges,
she stayed true to her dream.
Shortly after May 1996, with her bachelor of science degree completed,
Rivera was hired at CPS Energy. In 2000, she also completed her master of
Science Degree from UTSA. By this time Rivera had moved from the Contracts
and Facilities Management Division to the Civil Engineering Section, where she
still works as an Engineer III.
Donald Klinzing, recent retiree from CPS Energy and Rivera's former boss,
reflected on the first time he met Rivera. "She had worked in another area and
came to me one day asking if I had a place for her. I was happy she asked and
brought her on," says Klinzing.
Rivera, now starting her 13th year with CPS, has been involved with
numerous projects and with many diverse groups of people. Klinzing says, "She
communicates well with all the groups we work with daily" There are multiple
steps involved in the various projects in which Rivera works. "She is thorough
and gets the job done," says Klinzing. She continues to stay informed of the
advancements made in engineering by attending periodic training sessions
and attending continuing education courses to maintain her license.
ENCOURAGING OTHERS
Not only is her passion for civil engineering apparent but she also has
a passion for educating and encouraging others. She credits this to good
experiences and encouraging words as a student. Rivera believes it is her turn
to give to others what was given to her.
"I am a mentor for the Connecting the Dots program started by CPS Energy
in 2006," says Rivera. This program's goal is to identify at-risk high school
students and pair them with a mentor. Students and mentors, like Rivera, meet
in person and online to discuss how their educations will now prepare them for
their future careers.
Irma Orozco, of CPS Energy's Community Outreach department, speaks
highly of Rivera. "She is reliable, professional and goes above and beyond. I have
also seen her grow to become an even more confident woman and volunteer.
We do not have many women in engineering so I am proud of her," says Orozco.
Rivera's determination to give to others continues to impact lives.
"Alane is a terrific person. She has done a great job of mentoring high school
students," says Klinzing. As part of the program, they even incorporate Steven
Covey's book, "Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens." "It's been great to give
back to someone whose circumstances were not unlike my own growing up,"
says Rivera. Not only is this one of many ways she gives back but she also enjoys
promoting the field of engineering.
Rivera and Raymundo, her husband and an engineer, knew they could
do more once they learned of the increasing shortage of engineers across
the globe, particularly in the United States. After researching the learning
opportunities offered to students about engineering, they decided that one
market had not been addressed.
"We decided to create our own book series to target children when they
are at the impressionable ages of five to nine. Our hope is that children and
parents do not think the word 'engineering' is a big or scary word," says Rivera.
The first book in their series, "Rocks, Jeans, and Busy Machines", was designed
to ignite interest and understanding in the field of structural engineering.
The next book, in the process of being illustrated, will focus on geotechnical
engineering on a basic level, similar to the first book.
Rivera visits local elementary schools where she reads her book to the
children, shows them pictures of equipment, and teaches the children about
what she does as an engineer. She provides them with miniature hard hats
they can take home. At the end
of her visit, she donates a copy of
the book to the school library.
The
Riveras
have
also
supported education by creating
a scholarship for senior students
planning to attend a college
or university and who are from
their high school alma maters
Providence and McCollum. "Both
Raymundo and I put ourselves
through college. We were able to
do so in part thanks to generous
scholarships
established
by
other people. Establishing our
scholarship was a way we could
help students, like us, continue
their educations," says Rivera.
Each year the scholarship is for
a new computer system or an
equivalent cash award.
In 2008, Rivera joined the
board of directors at Providence.
She says, "It has been wonderful
to be involved again with the
school that gave me so much as
a young woman." This year she
holds the position of vice chair
hair and is fortunate to have
this opportunity to broaden her
experiences in this way.
IMPACTING THE FUTURE
The impact Rivera has made up to this point is just the beginning for her. As
she continues to promote engineering and education, she advises engineers
and authors alike. "I would encourage future engineering professionals to take
pride in knowing that they will make a difference in the world by working on
projects that make people's lives easier and safer. I also want to encourage
future authors to write on a subject they are passionate about," says Rivera.
The reward for working, writing, and giving of her time translates into
actions that will benefit others. Whether she is developing drawings or writing
children's books, Alvarez de Rivera is impacting the future.
To learn more about the organizations in the article, please visit the following links:
www.engineering-kids.com; www.providencehs.net/provet; http-J/www.cissa.org/
event.php;httpj/www.prep-usa.org/portal/saprep/default.asp
NSIDE BUSINESS
39