Angelica Builds Connections to Support Diversity in Stem Published 01-19-21 Angelica Cortez Vega always knew she wanted to work in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). She dreamed of being a math teacher, managing the business side of STEM or even becoming an astronaut. “It turns out that there are actually height requirements to be an astronaut,” Cortez Vega said. “That ruled out that career choice for me, so I began to explore other career options — all on Earth.” Earthly aspirations Cortez Vega grew up in northeast Mexico near the U.S. border. She later attended the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Cortez Vega became interested in physics during her time in college, and started her career in engineering at General Electric in Mexico before starting at Cummins Inc. after graduation.