From working parents to military veterans, GE would not be the company it is today without its employees. We created “Quick Six” to celebrate our diverse talent by asking employees six questions that uncover the unique ways that they contribute to GE and the world.
In this installation of Quick Six, GE Aerospace chatted with Miriam Alvarez, Senior Manufacturing Manager.
Alvarez has been with GE Aerospace for 13 years, during which she’s been deeply involved with the Hispanic Forum, which has incited her commitment to volunteer in the community and grow her career through mentorship.
Tell us about yourself and your time at GE!
I current work as part of the CFM RISE* (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) Product Operations team, specifically supporting the sourcing strategy for hybrid electric components. I also support controls sourcing as the manufacturing programs contact. I love being on the RISE team. New technology and being part of the future of flight keeps me energized and looking forward every day to learning something new. I’m also passionate about minimizing emissions and supporting the efforts to lower environmental impact.
I believe diversity provides additional value when working in teams. The different perspectives and points of view better reflect the diverse customers and GE partners, and this allows GE Aerospace to better understand their needs. One of the top reasons why I wanted to be a GE Aerospace employee is the commitment of GE Aerospace to the diversity initiatives.
All images courtesy of Miriam Alvarez.
You mentioned that you love being a part of the CFM RISE team and working on new technology to help develop the future of flight. What’s makes the RISE program unique compared to other projects that you’ve worked on during your time at GE Aerospace?
With the RISE program, hybrid electric makes the difference for me. We are developing technology to help reduce commercial aviation emissions. The message we are sending by investing in this is fantastic.
What are some of the unique opportunities or initiatives you’ve found at GE Aerospace?
The mentorship that I’ve received from GE Aerospace leaders has allowed me to develop and grow. Thanks to this support, I had the opportunity to be part of the Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) team when the manufacturing process moved from a small space at the Asheville rotating parts shop to the new CMC shop also located in Asheville, North Carolina. Thanks to that opportunity, I’m now a part of RISE Product Operations as well as the hybrid electric team that is working on defining the sourcing strategy for new components. 
You mentioned that one of the main reasons that you wanted to become a GE Aerospace employee is because of the company’s commitment to diversity initiatives, can you touch on that a bit more? Are there specific diversity initiatives that drew you to GE? If so, why?
I knew someone who works at GE Aerospace, and she informed me about Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that are a part of the company. Specifically, she mentioned the Hispanic Forum and the different activities that they were engaged with. One of the activities that inspired me to get involved was volunteering to translate parent-teacher conferences to help the community. I was able to support these efforts when I was located in Cincinnati and even volunteer while I was working remotely when the classes took place virtually due to COVID-19. We also have the opportunity to network, get mentorship that supports us with our careers, and get support from Hispanic Forum members. Overall, being a part of this group is very rewarding.
How does the Hispanic Forum help the community? Are there specific service projects or initiatives that they do?
The Hispanic Forum connects with the community to inspire Latino students and show them how a person that looks like them can be part of a great company like GE Aerospace. The Hispanic Forum does this by visiting the schools and organizing hands-on activities for the students that show how STEM careers are fun and interesting. By doing this kind of outreach, the team hopes to plant the seeds to inspire the students to continue their education and pursue a STEM career.
Another activity that had a great impact was when HF teamed up with Digital Engineering Solutions and Cincinnati Public Schools during the pandemic to provide laptops to students that didn’t have this resource at home. These students were able to continue learning through adversity due to this great initiative. 
Do you have any specific traditions that you like to share with others/educate people about?
One of my favorite traditions is the celebration of Día de los Muertos. I grew up in Mexico and I used to celebrate this holiday by visiting the cemetery every Día de los Muertos with my family. We used to spend the day by my grandparents' graves, cleaning the area, praying, arranging flowers and sharing a few stories about them. I still celebrate this special day by sending flowers to the cemetery in Mexico and sharing stories with my daughter. Keeping these traditions alive with my family brings me a lot of joy.
*RISE is a trademark of CFM International, a 50-50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines.
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GE Aerospace is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, as well as integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft.
