Leslie Arriaga

Since she began speaking at age 1, Leslie ceaselessly asked "Why" and "Where". Wanting to know how things worked was a daily adventure that catapulted her to imagined worlds of pretend play. Leslie enjoyed playing with blocks and although she didn't have Legos then, she definitely plays with them now. Building Barbie's house from all sorts of materials was such a joyous feat that sometimes playing with Barbie herself took a backseat. Enjoying math and science throughout school and having been surrounded by family who were engineers (dad is a Civil Engineer) and business owners, it was a no brainer to follow in their footsteps and study Civil Engineering at Arizona State University. Through encouragement from her family, Leslie was never daunted by the male-dominated industry of engineering and upon graduation proceeded to work for the US Army Corps of Engineers in the Construction Division of the New Orleans District. Having various interests and knowing she would not always work as an engineer, Leslie decided to obtain an MBA from Tulane University to become more marketable. Working on multi-million dollar construction projects was challenging but very rewarding. Now back in Arizona, Leslie enjoys working as an adjunct faculty at EMCC in the area of technology along with being a business owner and working for her church. Being a millennial herself has helped her connect with her students as she values transparency and out-of-the-box thinking. Her curiosity and passion drive her to make connections between the technical world and the world of art... both requiring creativity. Leslie values self-improvement and is a big proponent of paying it forward... Being blessed, to bless others.