Victoria Jurado
Hello, welcome to my UHP Portfolio!
For the past four years, I have had the privilege of studying Mechanical Engineering at NC State University while also being a part of the prestigious University Honors Program. As I near the completion of my studies, this Capstone Portfolio represents the final step before transitioning beyond NC State and the Honors Program. Through this portfolio, I aim to showcase the growth, accomplishments, and transformative experiences that have defined my time at NC State. I hope to highlight how my academic journey has shaped both my technical skills and personal development, preparing me for the next chapter in my career.
Finding My Path
For me, this is about the courage to change. I started out in one direction, but I had to be honest with myself about where I truly belonged. These artifacts show how I navigated that pivot, found my footing in Mechanical Engineering, and finally turned my curiosity into real, tangible skills. It’s the story of me finding exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Year 2
Dam Project Paper (MAE 201: Statics)
Purpose for Inclusion: This project serves as the foundation of my engineering journey. It represents the "make or break" moment where I committed to Mechanical Engineering.
Lessons Learned: As a notoriously challenging course, Statics forced me to confront the reality of my major change. I learned that I thrive when I can visualize physical forces, confirming that my pivot from Computer Science was the correct decision for my academic happiness and professional success.
Skills Gained: Structural Analysis, Trigonometric Modeling, and Engineering Design.
John Deere Internship Reflection (Product Design)
Purpose for Inclusion: This internship is included to demonstrate my ability to apply engineering principles within a structured, high-impact corporate environment.
Lessons Learned: I learned that engineering is not just about design, but about navigating trade-offs. Using the Pugh Controlled Convergence method, I discovered the importance of translating customer requirements into feasible design concepts, a critical skill for product development.
Skills Gained: Pugh Controlled Convergence, Mechanical Design, and Cross-functional Team Collaboration.
Year 2
Top Left - Welcome package from John Deere for all summer interns.
Top Right - "Women at John Deere Networking" event for building connections between employees at the central NC facilities, offices, and labs.
Bottom Left - The interns from the central NC area visiting and touring the John Deere Kernersville facilities.
Bottom Right - Me learning and using the golf mower that my internship project was focused on.
Year 3
Clutch Engagement Study (MAE 208: Dynamics)
Purpose for Inclusion: This artifact illustrates my ability to bridge the gap between theoretical classroom knowledge and physical reality.
Lessons Learned: By achieving less than 10% error between my theoretical model and experimental test, I learned the rigor required for accurate engineering prediction. This experience sparked my specific interest in dynamic analysis, which has become a focus area for my future career.
Skills Gained: Dynamic Analysis, Data Acquisition (DAQ), and Error Analysis.
Honda Internship Reflection
(Business Production Engieering)
Purpose for Inclusion: This role showcases my transition from design to the complex world of automotive production engineering and validation.
Lessons Learned: My time at Honda taught me that technical decisions must always be evaluated against their "business impact." Through Root Cause Analysis and working with the Honda of America Racing Team (HART), I learned how to diagnose high-stakes system failures in real-time.
Skills Gained: Business Evaluation, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and 3D Model Validation.
Year 3
Top Left - A co-worker and I (left) were changing a vehicle's coolant fluid while at a HART meeting.
Top Right - All the Ohio and Indiana interns came together at the end of the Summer to network and share our experiences at our Honda internships/co-ops.
Bottom Left - Me visiting and watching my first race, the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.
Bottom Right - A tour of the Honda Automotive Laboratories of Ohio (HALO), a state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar wind tunnel facility.
Year 4
Senior Design Mockup Model Presentation
(MAE 415/416: BAJA Pack Motorsports)
Purpose for Inclusion: This is the culmination of my NC State education, representing my growth into an engineer capable of managing an end-to-end design project.
Lessons Learned: As the lead presenter, I learned how to own technical communication, translating complex FEA results and differential dynamics into actionable data for my team and advisors. This year-long project proved my ability to execute a design from initial concept to a validated, competitive prototype.
Skills Gained: Project Management, FEA (ANSYS), and Technical Communication.
Building My Voice
This is where I stopped just listening and started contributing. It represents the journey of finding my confidence in massive companies and within my own community. These experiences show me learning to trust my own gut, speak up in a room full of experts, and realize that my perspective (and my story) actually carries weight in the professional world.
Bharat Forge Internship Summary Presentation
(Research & Development)
Purpose for Inclusion: This role served as my introduction to manufacturing operations and industrial efficiency. It demonstrates my ability to apply engineering principles to improve real-world production environments.
Lessons Learned: My time at Bharat Forge taught me that engineering is as much about process optimization as it is about initial design. By implementing 5S principles and designing custom 3D-printed tooling, I learned to identify "friction" in a manufacturing line. This experience shifted my perspective: I realized that an engineer’s value often lies in making the daily work of others safer and more efficient.
Skills Gained: 5S Methodology, Lean Manufacturing Principles, and Technical Documentation.
Year 1
Year 2
Community Assistant Coordinator Reflection
(Honors Village Housing)
Purpose for Inclusion: This artifact showcases my early leadership development. It highlights my ability to build community and manage interpersonal dynamics within an academic environment.
Lessons Learned: Leading this organization taught me that effective leadership is less about authority and more about fostering a sense of belonging. I learned to facilitate collaboration among diverse personalities, navigate organizational challenges, and create a supportive environment for others. This was a critical "soft skill" experience that prepared me for the collaborative rigors of engineering project teams.
Skills Gained: Community Building, Conflict Resolution, and Stakeholder Management.
SHPE National Convention Resume Progression
Purpose for Inclusion: This artifact documents my journey in professional self-advocacy. It maps the progression from my early attempts at networking to successfully landing high-impact internships at industry leaders like John Deere and Honda.
Lessons Learned: Participating in the SHPE community taught me the power of professional advocacy. I learned that my resume is not merely a list of classes; it is a narrative of my potential. By comparing my early resumes to the interview results I landed later in my career, I realized that I had gained the confidence to stop waiting for opportunities and start actively crafting my professional trajectory.
Skills Gained: Professional Networking, Personal Branding, and Interview Strategy.
Year 2-4
Top Left - A selfie with the Regional Vice President for SHPE in Region 7. The one who supports student and professional chapters within Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
Top Right - Networking Luncheons, sponsored by companies that want to meet and recruit minority engineering students.
Bottom Left - From a networking night with SHPEtinas and GM engineers & representatives, NC State's SHPEtinas.
Bottom Right - At the SHPEtina (Latina Engineers) Luncheon, we reconnected with SHPE's CEO, Suzanna Valdez Wolfe.
Widening My Lens
I never wanted to be an engineer who only looks at numbers. This theme is about my heart for people and the world beyond the classroom. It shows how I’ve intentionally pushed myself to see life through different eyes, whether that’s through service or cultural exchange. It’s about making sure that as I grow as a professional, I’m growing as a human, too.
Year 1
Final Honors Seminar Research Paper
(HON 202: Animals in Words and Images)
Purpose for Inclusion: This artifact represents my commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry and critical thinking. It showcases my ability to engage with intellectual challenges outside the realm of mechanical systems.
Lessons Learned: This seminar taught me that technical rigor is only one part of the engineering equation. By analyzing art and literature, I gained the skill of critical interpretation, learning to look for the "human context" behind a problem. This has made me a more observant person, helping me recognize that social and creative factors often dictate the success or failure of problems in life.
Skills Gained: Critical Interpretation, Interdisciplinary Analysis, and Contextual Thinking.
Research Proposal (HON 398: Research Springboard)
Purpose for Inclusion: This artifact illustrates my engagement with the formal research process and my ability to structure a complex inquiry from hypothesis to methodology.
Lessons Learned: While this project confirmed that my long-term passion lies in industry design rather than academic research, the process was invaluable. It taught me how to identify gaps in knowledge and design a controlled study to fill those gaps. The discipline required to structure this proposal sharpened my ability to formulate technical arguments.
Skills Gained: Formal Research Design, Scientific Writing, and Gap Analysis.
Year 1
Year 3
Virtual Exchange Certificate (Developing Cultural Competence)
Purpose for Inclusion: As an engineer aiming to work in a global industry, this certificate demonstrates my intentional preparation for working in diverse, international environments.
Lessons Learned: I learned that communication across cultural boundaries is not just a "soft skill"; it is a professional necessity. This exchange taught me how to navigate different communication styles and professional norms. I now approach team projects with a proactive focus on empathy, ensuring that my solutions are inclusive and respectful of diverse global perspectives.
Skills Gained: Cross-cultural Communication, Global Readiness, and Empathy-Driven Collaboration.
FIRST Robotics Mentor (Team Pyrotech 3459)
Purpose for Inclusion: These photos represent a full-circle moment in my engineering journey. Having been a student on Team Pyrotech 3459 in high school, returning as a mentor demonstrates my commitment to engineering advocacy and my ability to guide the next generation of technical talent.
Lessons Learned: Returning to my roots taught me that true leadership is about facilitation rather than direction. Working with high schoolers who voluntarily dedicate their time to robotics, I learned to balance technical instruction with "organic leadership"; fostering confidence, managing shop safety, and teaching the hands-on machining skills that define our craft. This role reaffirmed that my professional value lies not just in what I can build, but in how I empower others to build for themselves.
Skills Gained: Technical Mentorship, Instructional Communication, Shop Safety & Machining Training, and Character Building.
Year 4
The Full Circle
