HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (TENNESSEE VALLEY LIVING) - A woman searching for her version of the American Dream made her vision a reality through hard work and perseverance.
In this edition of Women of True Grit, Edie Hand introduces the community to Dr. Gilda Ham-Battista and how she overcame adversity to achieve her professional goal of becoming an engineer at Marshall Space Flight Center.
Originally from Honduras, Ham-Battista wanted to escape the civil unrest in her home country and further her education in the United States. She came into the country on a student visa as a teen and eventually realized she wanted to become an engineer.
After struggling to get into higher education programs, she was accepted into Vanderbilt on a scholarship. From there, she would meet her future husband and graduate with her PhD.
Eventually, the journey led her and her family to Alabama to continue their engineering careers at Marshall Space Flight Center.
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As a way to give back, Ham-Battista also teaches classes and volunteers to share her expertise with others.
Ham-Battista’s story is a reminder that it’s not where you start in life that matters the most; it’s how you finish and help others along the way.
You can find more inspiring stories from Edie Hand on her website, linked here.
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