Meet Katlyn M., delivery manager
The first time I saw the Iowa State University campus was in the fall of 2015 when my family drove from Indianapolis to Ames for move-in day. It was a family event. We rented a truck, and my mom, dad, and little brother all came.
I kept a brave face, but I was anxious. I didn’t know anyone and was the first in my family to attend college. When they left, I realized I’m an adult. I didn’t know when they would be back to see me.
I dug in, putting my talents to good use and navigating the challenge with the same traits I’ve used all my life: endless curiosity and boundless energy.
Enthusiastic about growth in the face of change
I remember when my dad gave me a build-your-own-computer kit; I was about 7 or 8 and it was my first inkling that engineering might be in my future. He and I would work together. It started my journey into STEM.
Another factor was my foray into my school’s robotics team; we won competitions in our first year. When I built something and it worked—when it clicked—that was the most exciting feeling ever.
Computer engineering, with its mix of electrical know-how and software programming, checked all the boxes—and Iowa State offered a highly ranked program1. But the transition after my family dropped me off was a lot to handle. Take my first-year intro chemistry class with 300 students, for example. My high school graduating class was 24. It was challenging to learn how to talk to a professor, how to study, and who to study with.
Entering engineering as a woman and a woman of color was also hard. I didn’t see many women who looked like me and didn’t really find my support group and peers until I was a senior.
I was studying to graduate with a double degree in computer engineering and management information systems. I thought I wanted to be a software developer. But in my junior year I took business classes and realized there was often miscommunication between tech and business, even though those areas service each other. What if I could become someone who serves as a liaison between the two so they can function and grow?
Marketing is fun—and so is leadership
I had internships from my freshman year on; in 2019 I landed one at Principal, where a leader encouraged me to meet other teams and see how the connection between tech and business worked in practice. After graduation, I entered the Principal Leadership Development Program (LDP), a three-year commitment with six- to nine-month rotations around the business.
I’ve gotten to work in spaces I would have never thought to get into. The most fun and most surprising? Marketing. I have no background in it, but tech is so wrapped around marketing. It opened my eyes.
I was able to flex my leadership muscles and find a new spark during a rotation in Mexico, where I was an agile scrum leader for a team of 12. We had disconnected teams, and I had to get them to work together to overcome those sticking points. To not only understand the tech but to be a people leader, I really enjoyed that. I realized my career at Principal isn’t going to be limited to one area. It’s going to be thoughtful. There are areas and leaders willing to work with me to help figure out what I want. I’m tech driven, but passionate about people.
How do you affect change?
I opted to stay in the Des Moines, Iowa area post-graduation, surrounded by a core group of friends from college. Recently, though, I moved back to Indianapolis; my dad had passed away, and my family was still in the city. When I left for school, part of me felt like I was abandoning them when they were struggling—I’m one of the pillars of my family.
Now, I feel obligated to try to affect change in my hometown. I come from a community with a lot of challenges; it’s impoverished, it’s a food desert, and schools need help. But it’s shaped who I am, and I want the best for the people here. How can I better my community? I have an education and work for a company that offers a number of resources, so how do I take what I’ve learned and bring it back to them?
I’m not sure what shape those efforts will take, and no matter what, I want to move back to Des Moines in a few years—this time, with my mom.
It’s rare to know what career might be a fit for you when you’re in elementary school, but I really did. To finally figure things out—I love that feeling. To be able to create something that works is exciting.
