Jessica Horii
Colorado School of Mines
For being a positive influence in the lives of aspiring women engineers; for demonstrating the value of community service; and for encouraging and inspiring other women to lead with excellence.
As both an undergraduate and a graduate student, Jessica Horii took on many roles at the Colorado School of Mines and in the collegiate section of the Society of Women Engineers. She holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Mines, and in May 2021, she received a master’s from the school in the same field, with a focus on thermal and fluid systems.
Her leadership and volunteerism in STEM-related activities were wide ranging. She served at the executive level of the SWE Mines Collegiate Section as logistics director, networking reception director, evening with industry director, and external relations director.
She served as a mentor and was an active volunteer in the Schlumberger Serve2Succeed (S2S) competition. This challenge exemplifies the importance of volunteerism through service at Children’s Hospital, Denver Botanic Gardens, and Dinosaur Ridge. S2S volunteers introduce STEM concepts to youth through events such as Girl Scout Engineering Day and the “STEAM for All! Festival,” among others. In 2019, the SWE Mines S2S team participated in more than 35 different events, earning the Most Volunteering Events award. In 2020, the section placed second in the S2S challenge.
At the Society and local levels, Horii has attended three SWE conferences — WE18 in Minneapolis, WE Local Denver in 2019, and WE19 in Anaheim, California — offering her many opportunities to meet and network with SWE members from across the globe and learn of other resources and professional development programs within SWE. In FY19, she was part of the SWE Future Leaders program on the Early Career Track. As part of this program, she participated in the Collegiate Leadership Institute at the annual conference. For her consistent leadership and service to SWE, Horii received the WE Local Guiding Star Award.
Horii is involved in other women-centered organizations such as the Women of Aeronautics and Astronautics, an international organization that supports underrepresented groups in these fields of study. She has used this connection to mentor three first- and second-year students and share her experiences and offer advice.
She attended and supported events sponsored by other campus organizations, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. She volunteered to help with fundraisers, cultural nights, campus festivals, and outreach. She communicated with many executive board members from these organizations to collaborate on events and share best practices for organizing them.
Horii was active in the campus service organizations Alpha Phi Omega — in which she held multiple positions — and the Blue Key Honor Society. Her off-campus volunteer work extended to the National Sports Center for the Disabled, where she taught children how to use adaptive equipment to learn to ski.
Following graduation, Horii began working full time at Northrop Grumman Corporation in Ogden, Utah.
In her spare time, she enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee with friends and skiing in the Colorado mountains.
