Eileen details how lessons she learned as a child and her training as a civil engineer helped to prepare her for life's challenges, including the inconvenience of cancer. Her inspirational story of resilience and hard work will encourage anyone with daughters or challenges of their own. Eileen was raised in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico and obtained her BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez and a MS in Engineering, from Mississippi State University. She interned at the Walt Disney World College Program and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

She has worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers and Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. In 2014, she moved to Puerto Rico to lead the Kimley-Horn office.

Eileen’s specializes in the design and construction for commercial and general aviation airports, as well as multidisciplinary projects and business development.

In 2020, she was appointed as the first woman for the position of Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP) of Puerto Rico. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx