“Now seeing the beginning from the end, I can’t imagine my life any other way.”
Ten days before leaving Texas A&M University, Mia Carrola paused to reflect on the journey she never imagined and the mentors who helped forge her path.
As a child, Mia loved tinkering and problem-solving as she helped her father with his endless projects. This passion for hands-on learning continued in high school where she excelled in welding class and joined the competitive welding team.
At Texas A&M she was initially a biomedical science major, intent on pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian. However, she quickly learned her squeamishness was an insurmountable obstacle to success in veterinary medicine and her lifelong plan disappeared. With guidance from both her high school welding teacher and her father, Mia explored her aptitude for engineering and found her home in the Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology (MMET) program within the Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution (ETID) Department.
Meeting Dr. Angie Hill Price, the instructor of her metallic materials class, solidified her decision to pursue engineering. “She is who I want to be when I grow up,” Mia thought after their first conversation. Price also saw something special in Mia. “Mia is an exceptional person. She is highly self-motivated and has valuable hands-on experience combined with an extraordinary intellect,” she said.
Price wasn’t the only professor impressed by Mia. Her high grades garnered the attention of MMET’s Dr. Amir Asadi, who invited her to do research as part of the Undergraduate Research Scholars Thesis Program. She discovered an unexpected fit as a researcher. Asadi then advocated Mia embark on her own project involving the use of polymer nanocomposites in 3D printing. Although she had never touched a 3D printer, she rose to the challenge and this work became the basis of her undergraduate thesis.
Mia’s plan to stop at her bachelor’s degree and set off on a career in the welding industry was sidetracked by Asadi and Dr. Mathew Kuttolamadom’s encouragement to pursue a graduate degree. She jumped at the chance and was accepted to the Master of Engineering Technology program.
With the backing of Asadi and Dr. Jorge Leon, she applied for two internships and was offered both. It was a difficult choice; the position at Los Alamos National Lab involved working with metals, her first love as a high school welder, while the other opportunity at the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) involved her undergraduate passion for 3D printing. She accepted the AFRL opportunity, not realizing what a life-altering decision it was.
Her internship was in the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate of AFRL, which develops new materials, processes and manufacturing technologies for aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, rockets and ground-based systems. It was an excellent fit for Mia. Her work there turned into a prestigious publication as first author, leading an international team of scientists.
Nearing the end of her master’s program, Asadi presented Mia with yet another idea — pursuing a doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering. Realizing that her research could contribute to the defense of our country, she committed to the Ph.D. program and was granted a fellowship. Following two more internships and three years of dedication to her studies, Mia accepted a research engineer position at AFRL among some of the nation’s most brilliant scientists.
As she departed College Station with tearful goodbyes and a heart full of gratitude for all who encouraged her, she credited the ETID department as her supportive village that helped her find belief in herself.
“All these wonderful people along the way saw in me what I did not. I am thankful I had such a runway with this family here at Texas A&M. The journey happened beautifully and perfectly,” she said.