< PreviousMaria Whitson made history in May 1923 as the first woman to graduate from Auburn University with a degree in engineering. Today, 100 years later, alumnae of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering are still making waves across the state of Alabama. When Whitson, a native of Talladega, became the first woman to enroll in engineering, she was applauded by her male classmates in the Glomerata for being “a very fine sport.” Whitson graduated with high honors in electrical engineering and worked at Alabama Power, though she also received offers from General Electric and Westinghouse. Today, Paula Marino, ’92 and ’95 electrical engineering, serves as the senior vice president of operations and business shared services at Southern Company, the parent company of Alabama Power. “I believe that the women who came before us paved the way for our success in ways that we’ll never know,” Marino said. “In those 100 years, there were so many challenges they had to overcome. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without the women who came before me. They inspire me to do the same thing for the young women who will come after me.” For Marino, who spoke at Auburn’s 2023 spring commencement ceremony, recognizing those who came before her also empowers her to make positive change for others. “Our mission at Southern Company is to provide our customers with clean, safe, reliable and affordable power, while making our communities better and our states stronger,” said Marino, who grew up in Enterprise. “Auburn shares this same mission of having a positive impact on our state and communities. It’s easy to see how they both make a difference in our state and our nation.” Marino gives back in numerous ways across Auburn’s campus, especially as a voice for women pursuing engineering. She serves on the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Advisory Council, on the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council and is a member of Auburn Engineering’s 100+ Women Strong program. She has also mentored young engineers through initiatives such as iCan, Southern Nuclear North American Young Generation in Nuclear, Society of Women Engineers and Women in Generation. Twin sisters Melody George-Jones and Mellany George, both ’05 fiber engineering, are also making positive change in Alabama through their civilian careers as engineers, as well as their service as commissioned officers in the United States Navy Reserve. George, a senior mission assurance engineer at Northrop Grumman Corp. in Huntsville, believes there are opportunities available to anyone who wants to build a meaningful career in Alabama, as she has done. “You can be any engineering discipline and get a job here in Huntsville,” George said. “Working in the defense and aerospace industry, I meet people from all over the U.S. and when they visit Huntsville, they want to stay here. Alabama has so much to offer.” George-Jones started her career with Schlumberger Oil Field Services in Cleburne, Texas, but in 2009 came back home to Alabama where she is now at Northrop Grumman as senior principal systems engineer. For her, representation has been a major part of her success. “If you don’t see someone who looks like you, it can be harder to achieve your goals,” George-Jones said. “The first person who achieves a goal is also the one who makes it achievable for others. By myself, I can only go so far. But now that I know others who have accomplished what I want to do, I can build upon that and accomplish what they have.” Her sister agrees. “I love the saying ‘lift as you climb,’” George said. “As I climb my career ladder, I want to help someone else behind me fulfill their potential.” As the percentage of women in STEM fields like engineering continues to rise at Auburn, countless alumni and friends are there, alongside organizations such as 100+ Women Strong and the Society of Women Engineers, to support and encourage future female engineering students — thanks to those who laid the foundations. UNIVERSITY NEWS BY BETHANY GILES 50 UNIVERSITY NEWS AUBURNTIGERS.COM Mellany George, a 2005 fiber engi- neering alumna and Navy Reservist, is a senior mission assurance engineer at Northrop Grumman Corp. in Huntsville, Alabama. Melody George-Jones, a 2005 fiber engineering alumna and Navy Reserv- ist, is a senior principal systems engi- neer at Northrop Grumman Corp. in Huntsville, Alabama. Paula Marino, a two-time electrical engineering alumna, is the senior vice president of operations and business shared services at Southern Company. 100 YEARS AND COUNTING: ENGINEERING ALUMNAE EMBRACE LEGACY OF AUBURN’S FEMALE TRAILBLAZERS CardiacandVascularAwards from EastAlabamaMedicalCenteristheONLYhospital inAlabamatobeamongthetop5% ofhospitalsnationwideforcardiacsurgery! 2023Women'sChoiceAwardsBestHospitalsfor CancerCare,Orthopedics,andObstetrics Congratulationstoourstaff forearningtheseprestigiousawards! ServingOpelika,Auburn,Valleyandan11-countycoveragearea52 ON THE PLAINS WITH MOSIAH NASILI-KITE Well-traveled defensive lineman Mosiah Nasili-Kite has seen his football journey take him coast to coast across America, but the graduate transfer is glad Auburn is his ultimate destination. “I grew up in California – born and raised there – and I moved to Washing- ton state when I was 16 and spent my ju- nior and senior year of high school there. Four days after my high school gradu- ation, I checked into the University of Washington, and I was there a year and a half. From there I went to Independence, Kansas, and went to junior college there. I was there eight months and Covid hit, so I got to go home (to Seattle) and then I went to Maryland. I was there for the past three seasons and got my degree in fam- ily science. Then I hit the portal right after our bowl game and came here.” Nasili-Kite entered the transfer por- tal after recording 83 tackles, 14.5 TFL and nine sacks in three seasons with the Terrapins, earning honorable mention all-Big Ten recognition. “It takes a leap of faith – I didn’t know if I would be re- cruited again, being a sixth-year guy, but I was blessed to receive the offer from Auburn and that’s where I wanted to go. I was just trying to push the refresh button for myself.” Football wasn’t on Nasili-Kite’s heart from an early age. “I didn’t start playing football until high school,” he said. “A lot of my friends told me I was big enough to play, but my main sports at that time were base- ball and basketball. In baseball, I played everything and in basketball, I was the center. I’ve been the same height since seventh grade – once I was the tallest guy, but I’ve watched all my peers grow up. So, I gave football a try.” When Nasili-Kite does show out, it’s a point of pride to a family that stretches worldwide. “My parents were both born and raised in the islands of Tonga,” he said. “My dad (Sunia) and my mom (Toakase) each moved to California, which is where they met. They knew of each other in the islands but weren’t friends or dating. My mom came to join her parents who had left when she was young; she was raised by my mom’s auntie, who took care of her until she was able to come to the states. My dad moved here to see his mom’s side of the family. “We have a very big family in the states. I still have a lot of family in the is- lands as well, but I don’t get to see them as much. I’ve never been back there; most definitely, I would like to go. And my family (in Tonga) has watched some games when I was at Maryland – I would see it from my mom’s Facebook posts. I think it’s cool that our family across the world is keeping track.” Nasili-Kite earned his bachelor’s de- gree from Maryland in family science “because that interested me and I can see myself being a social worker. I really like helping kids. I have a daughter of my own now and I feel like it always starts with the youth. That’s something I could enjoy and make a difference.” His daughter, Sesilina, (named after Mosiah’s sister) “was actually born on the day I flew out here to Auburn – I experi- enced that and then hopped on the plane. It was a sad moment at the time, but that five-hour flight helped me put things in perspective. Not being able to see her for those first few weeks, until she and her mom moved here, I feel like that helped me focus on why I needed to be here, to help provide the best possible life for her.” The whole family is enjoying life in Auburn. “I’m originally from the West Coast and I like the South, especially the hos- pitality of all the people around here,” he said. “I like being around good people and I feel like there are a lot of good peo- ple down here. And the food – we love food and there’s some great food here that I’ve never tried – gator, grits, you name it.” Nasili-Kite will be bringing a little bit of his island heritage to game days at Jordan-Hare Stadium. “I have a war chant I do every time I’m walking out of the tunnel,” he explained. “It’s something I do that a lot of Polyne- sian people would do; it gets me riled up and ready to go. At the last school I was at, I had several Polynesian dudes there and we would all do it, but I was the one who started it. “I’m very satisfied with my choice of Auburn – everything checks every box, from the type of defense I like running to the playing style to a great fan base and a beautiful campus – I think I’m in the per- fect place. It feels good.” ON THE PLAINS WITH MOSIAH NASILI-KITE BY SHELLY POE AUBURNTIGERS.COM ‘IN THE PERFECT PLACE’DINE IN // DELIVERY // CURBSIDE // CATERING Opelika 2664 Enterprise Drive, Opelika, AL 36801 GO TIGERS!54 2023 STADIUM MAP 2023 STADIUM MAP AUBURNTIGERS.COM SOUTH CLUB BROADWAY CLUB NORTH CLUB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 14 14 13 151617181920 383940414243 3744 44 45 46 46 36 37 35 35 21 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 100 99 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 AUBURN VISITOR 23 23 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 9 8U 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 20 21 BILL & CONNIE NEVILLE LOBBY 0 EXIT GATE STUDENT GATE STUDENT GATE EAST UPPER DECK ACCESS ONLY SOUTH SERVICE GATE FOOTBALL RECRUITING SOUTH DONAHUE DRIVE HEISMAN DRIVE HD VIDEOBOARD NEVILLE ARENA MIKE & JANE McCARTNEY BRICK PLAZA TICKET OFFICE SALES & PICK-UP GAMEDAY TRANSIT & FANFEST (NS PASS) NORTH STADIUM LOT VISITOR TICKET SALES HARBERT FAMILY RECRUITING CENTER AUBURN PLAYER GUEST EXIT GATEVISITING TEAM LOCKER ROOM SUITE TICKET PICK-UP STUDENT GATE SOUTH NORTH WEST EAST BROADWAY CLUB & MEDIA CREDENTIALS TIGER WALK CLUB ENTRANCE HIGH SCHOOL COACHES 11 10 TIGERWALK TICKET SALES TICKET SALES BROADWAY CLUB ONLY HRC ONLY ADA SHUTTLE PICKUP 1U VISITING PLAYER GUEST & VISITING FAN TICKET PICK-UP ADA SHUTTLE PICKUP NORTH SERVICE GATE OLYMPIC SPORT RECRUITING Entry GateElevator First Aid Tiger Babies LEGEND Charging Station Student Section Seating bowl closed to non-students Team Shop Medical Bag Entry Special Access Statues Guest Services ADA Shuttle56 2023 AUBURN PARKING MAP 2023 AUBURN PARKING MAP AUBURNTIGERS.COM2023 AUBURN PARKING MAP LEGEND 57 2023 AUBURN PARKING LEGEND AUBURNTIGERS.COM© 2022 Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. 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