Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

I Am L3Harris - Anya Soberano

29/08/2022

At 2 years old, I was diagnosed with severe hearing loss and started wearing analog hearing aids bilaterally. My small hometown of Bacolod City, Philippines, offered limited resources for children with hearing loss, so my mother and I traveled to lloilo City by ferryboat so I could receive oral-verbal approach therapy. These trips took two hours each way, and we traveled three times a week for three years.

I enrolled in mainstream school in the Philippines. I didn't earn good grades - except for in math and science. Both my father and grandfather were mechanical engineers. My father worked outside the country and was always away from home, so my grandfather served as a father figure to me. Growing up, I watched my grandfather fix his vehicles and anything in the house that needed repairs. I inherited his passion for fixing things and problem solving. My mother was a nurse who wanted to further her career and provide me with the opportunity to receive cochlear implants that would help my hearing. She saw opportunity to achieve both dreams in America.

We moved to Minnesota in 2006 when I was 8 years old. I vividly remember my first day of elementary school. I had difficulty hearing and understanding the teacher and my classmates. I would imitate my classmates movements and follow along with what they were doing and where they went. I did not make friends on the playground because I spoke very little English and was very shy. It was overwhelming and a huge adjustment for me.

Later, I received bilateral cochlear implants - it took five surgeries over the course of two years. I continued to attend mainstream school and had a teacher for deaf and hard-of-hearing students who patiently supported me and helped me develop my writing and speaking skills. She also taught me some basic sign language so I could communicate with other Deaf people. In high school, she introduced me to live captioning, which I found to be a very useful tool for my education. A captionist would attend classes with me and type the lessons my teacher was lecturing on into the computer.

By the time I turned 11 years old, my English started to improve. Throughout my schooling, my mother continued taking me to speech therapy weekly - we didn't have to travel by ferryboat in America! In my junior year of high school, my teacher for deaf and hard-of-hearing students encouraged me to visit the Rochester Institute for Technology (RIT), a mainstream university known as a world leader for deaf education. I later applied and was accepted - my journey to becoming an engineer had begun.

My freshman year at RIT felt overwhelming, as I knew very little sign language. I met a lot of Deaf students in my dorm and around campus who could sign fast. One day, the captionist was not able to cover my lab class and they assigned an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter instead. I only understood a few ASL terms and struggled to understand interpreters, so I joined the Deaf club to improve my ASL communication skills. I also worked as a math tutor supporting Deaf students and as an engineering desk assistant for three years. This is how I was able to pick up ASL faster than I had in high school! My electronics professor, who is deaf, became my mentor. She provided me with advice and networking opportunities and introduced me to new technologies to help me communicate. The networking skills I developed at RIT led to an internship with NASA in 2019. One of my mentors during this internship was also a deaf female engineer.

A year later, I interned at L3Harris, and after graduating from RIT in 2020, I was offered a full-time position with the company. I am proud to now be working as an Associate Integration and Test Engineer, supporting various programs, software development, systems integration and LabVIEW tasks. I am the only deaf engineer in my department, and my colleagues have been amazing! Despite my hearing loss, I always find ways to overcome obstacles at work - whether I'm visually following along with my colleagues or using Microsoft Teams' chat feature. I can lipread, but not 100% of the time, so communication can sometimes be challenging. But throughout my life, I have always found ways to overcome challenges.

I have come a long way from being a deaf kid in a small town in the Philippines. I am humbled that I was provided the opportunity to live in America and began my engineering career with a great company. I am thankful for my mentors and colleagues who continue to teach, support and encourage me with patience and understanding. We Deaf people can be just as successful as anyone else. To others who may face similar challenges in life - don't be afraid to ask for help, and never give up. Keep going and keep thriving!
LINK: https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/editorial/2022/08/i-am-l3harris-anya...
See more stories from harris

More from Harris

03/07/2025

Advanced Communication Systems Unleash a Tactical Advantage in Modern Combat Operations

To achieve a true level of decisive overmatch, communication systems must be as ...

01/07/2025

L3Harris Delivers Missionized Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Aircraft

L3Harris Technologies has delivered its second Bombardier Global 6500 missionize...

01/07/2025

L3Harris Sets Date for Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Release

MELBOURNE, Fla., July 1, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its second quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, Ju...

30/06/2025

Artemis II Mission Advances with Successful RS-25 Engine Checkout Tests

The Artemis II Space Launch System core stage is integrated with the solid rocket boosters inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy S...

25/06/2025

Seamless Communications for Community Disaster Response

The combination of L3Harris Falcon radios and Project 25 Trunking waveform delivers a critical interoperable communications capability for the U.S. National Gu...

24/06/2025

NASA, L3Harris Hot-Fire Test New RS-25 Rocket Engine for Artemis

NASA and L3Harris tested RS-25 engine No. 20001 on June 20, 2025, at the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi....

24/06/2025

Reaching New Heights for Communication Network Modernization

While European NATO nations look to rapidly evolve their C5ISR capabilities in light of increasingly aggressive actions from adversaries, L3Harris' portfoli...

23/06/2025

NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory Unveils First Images with Support from Mirror built by L3Harris

This image captures a small section of NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory's v...

12/06/2025

Belgium's Ministry of Defence Selects L3Harris T4 Robots for Explosive Ordnance Disposal Missions

Medium-sized L3Harris T4 robots provide advanced control and precision for inspe...

09/06/2025

Viper Shield: The Right Choice for the Global F-16 Fleet

In this L3Harris rendering Viper Shield provides a virtual electronic shield around the F-16, enabling warfighters to complete missions safely in increasingly c...

09/06/2025

L3Harris Providing Additional VAMPIRE Counter-UAS Systems to Department of Defense

L3Harris VAMPIRE is a self-contained system that delivers advanced ISR, which ca...

05/06/2025

L3Harris Delivers Advanced Offensive Space Capability to Space Force

L3Harris developed the Meadowlands system to assist the U.S. Space Force in responding to potential future threats more effectively and efficiently. The upgrade...

29/05/2025

L3Harris Receives Contract to Develop Next-Generation Security Processor for US Government

L3Harris receives a contract to develop a next-generation security processor to ...

28/05/2025

L3Harris a Committed Strategic Partner for Establishing New F-35 Fighter Air Vehicle Depot in Canada

Canada is committed to modernizing its capabilities to defend the nation and con...

27/05/2025

Target Earlier, Fire Faster

Palantir, alongside L3Harris as lead communication systems integrator, is nearing delivery of new prototypes in support of the U.S. Army's TITAN program....

27/05/2025

Trench EW Comes of Age

The less than 2 kg ICN can be easily integrated into a soldier's load carrying equipment, enabling multirole, multifunction EW capability from a small form ...

26/05/2025

L3Harris to Support Canada's National Security with Imaging Technology

Operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force, the P-8A will conduct critical maritime and overland patrol and reconnaissance missions using WESCAM MX-Series systems...

22/05/2025

L3Harris Marks Major Milestone for New Solid Rocket Motor Factories of the Future' in Virginia

L3Harris breaks ground on new production facilities in Orange County, Virginia, ...

15/05/2025

L3Harris and Airbus US Partner on Systems Integration for Unmanned Aerial Logistics Connector

Airbus U.S. Space & Defense and L3Harris Technologies announced a teaming agreem...

14/05/2025

Delivering Speed of Information Through Strategic Partnering

The strategic partnership between L3Harris and Palantir is already providing significant progress in developing real-world Radio-as-a-Sensor concepts....

13/05/2025

L3Harris Unfurlable Mesh Reflector Successfully Deploys on ESA's Biomass Satellite

L3Harris reflectors are known for their performance and reliability. They featur...

13/05/2025

L3Harris Teams with Trident Solutions Group and HDT Global to Develop New Enhanced Robotic Payloads

L3Harris is supporting the development of a dual-arm, high-dexterity manipulatio...

08/05/2025

Managing the Mission: Teaching Technique to C3ISR Operators

For skyward-bound operators, training focuses on the unique aspects of flying ISR missions, including the management of onboard surveillance equipment and the e...

06/05/2025

L3Harris Receives $214 Million in Orders to Support German Armed Forces

L3Harris's resilient and interoperable Falcon radios will enhance the operational capabilities of German armed forces in support of the Digitization - Land ...

06/05/2025

Built for Tomorrow's Fight: The Aircraft Redefining Agility, Precision and Power

L3Harris has delivered multiple follow-on aircraft in quick succession to ensure...

02/05/2025

L3Harris and Thales Develop Next-Generation SHORAD Capability

Ian Menzies of L3Harris and Nigel MacVean of Thales UK shake hands after signing an agreement to provide advanced technology that will support the UK's defe...

30/04/2025

On-Demand Imagery: Enhancing Monitoring and Analysis with Advanced Streaming Platforms

An image of Valencia, Spain, in the OneAtlas Living Library...

28/04/2025

L3Harris to Present at Three Upcoming Investor Conferences

MELBOURNE, Fla., April 29, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) Chief Financial Officer and Aerojet Rocketdyne President Ken Bedingfield will present at Bar...

25/04/2025

Interoperability and Networked Electronic Warfare: Critical for the Modern Warfighter

Using its CORVUS portfolio, L3Harris created a highly adaptable battle network t...

24/04/2025

L3Harris Technologies Reports First Quarter 2025 Results, Updates 2025 Guidance

Highlights* Revenue of $5.1 billion Operating margin of 10.2%; Adjusted segment operating margin of 15.6% Diluted EPS of $2.04; Non-GAAP diluted EPS of $2.4...

24/04/2025

L3Harris Harnesses Commercial Model to Deliver Capability to Warfighters with Speed and Agility

For more than 50 years, the company's commercial approach to delivering resi...

17/04/2025

Why Resilient GPS (R-GPS) Matters for US Military Superiority: We Must Address GPS Vulnerabilities

R-GPS gives warfighters a decisive battlefield advantage by punching through adv...

16/04/2025

L3Harris Expands Indiana Facility to Support America's Golden Dome

L3Harris completed a $125 million expansion at its space manufacturing site in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The expanded 95,000-square-foot facility will support the De...

14/04/2025

Celebrating 190 Years of Excellence: L3Harris Calzoni's Legacy in Italy's Naval Industry

For 190 years, innovation and technology from our talented workforce have distin...

11/04/2025

L3Harris Propulsion Solutions to Keep U.S. Adversaries Guessing

[This article has been updated, original publish date: April 8, 2024] Since the dawn of the Space Age, objects in space have traveled along predictable, gravit...

09/04/2025

Mission Flexibility Enabled With New L3Harris Family of In-Space Engines

L3Harris introduces its new In-Space Engine (ISE) family, featuring lightweight and affordable high-performance bipropellant rocket engines ideal for in-space p...

09/04/2025

Smart, Lethal, Affordable and Ready for the Fight

Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) was successfully executed at Yuma Proving Grounds in Yuma, Arizona, in November 2024. The event was completed with an AH-1Z Vi...

08/04/2025

L3Harris Completes Two Milestone Reviews for FOO Fighter Program

L3Harris Technologies has completed the delta Critical Design Review as it progresses in building eight infrared payloads for the Space Development Agency's...

08/04/2025

L3Harris Passes System Verification Review for US Space Force CCS Meadowlands

L3Harris Technologies has successfully passed the System Verification Review (SVR) for Meadowlands, an upgrade to the U.S. Space Force's Counter Communicati...

07/04/2025

L3Harris, Kuiper Government Solutions Partner on Resilient Satellite Communications Solutions

L3Harris and Amazon's Kuiper Government Solutions LLC will focus on innovati...

07/04/2025

US Space Force Selects L3Harris to Upgrade Space Domain Awareness Capabilities to Better Understand Space-Based Threats

10-story radar, operated by the 20th Space Surveillance Squadron on Eglin Air Fo...

07/04/2025

Missile Defense for the Modern Age: Scaling Today's Success While Driving Tomorrow's Innovation

In Washington Times: We need to rapidly scale up proven space-based sensors and ...

04/04/2025

Fission Surface Power Technology: A Game Changer for Space Exploration and In-Space Maneuverability

Artist rendering of a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion vehicle concept at Mars....

04/04/2025

L3Harris Delivers First Missionized Skyraider II Aircraft to Support Special Operations

Special Operations Command (SOCOM)'s OA-1K Skyraider II is based on L3Harris...

02/04/2025

An Innovation Imperative: Advancing the Next Generation of Solid Rocket Motors

Scott Alexander, President of Missile Solutions, Aerojet Rocketdyne, L3Harris, writes in Breaking Defense: L3Harris is building the factories of the future that...

01/04/2025

L3Harris Sets Date for First Quarter 2025 Earnings Release

MELBOURNE, Fla., April 1, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its first quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, Ap...

31/03/2025

L3Harris Completes Sale of Commercial Aviation Solutions Business to TJC for $800 Million

MELBOURNE, Fla., March 31, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) has complete...

31/03/2025

L3Harris, Dutch Ministry of Defence Sign FOXTROT Long-Term Agreement

Vice Admiral Jan Willem Hartman, commander of the Dutch Materiel and IT Command, and Chris Aebli, President, Tactical Communications, L3Harris Technologies, sig...