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Alumni Profiles
newsnotes THE WEBB SCHOOLS �2& A HALF MINUTES with Nadia Del Grande ’02 by Jessica Rice ’12
When you fly, have you ever considered how much time and preparation goes into your airplane seat? Nadia (Gomez) Del Grande ’02 leads a team of engineers that integrates and certifies commercial airplane seats — ranging from economy class seats to luxurious first class suites. Although Del Grande cannot give you more legroom or make your seat more comfortable, her team works with airlines and seat suppliers to ensure seats are safe for passengers through rigorous testing and evaluation. Before joining Boeing, where she has worked for the last 13 years, she studied mechanical engineering at Stony Brook University in Long Island New York, and later earned her master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington. When she reflects on her time at Webb, Del Grande remembers how a teacher helped her value authenticity and find her confidence — lessons she now shares with mentees of her own. Here, she reflects on her career and some of those lessons.
Q&A
How did you discover this career path? If I’m being honest, I discovered this career path by chance. When I graduated from college, I knew I wanted to be back on the West Coast. Boeing was attractive to me because of its location in the Puget Sound, because airplanes are fascinating, and because I’ve always liked a good challenge. Good mentors helped guide my career. About five years after I started working, I felt restless and reached out to a mentor of mine. That mentor said, “You should try seats. It’s exciting, it’s challenging, there’s travel, and you will learn a lot.” They were not wrong. My work in seats has kept me intrigued and has given me countless opportunities to grow technically and lead people ever since. What does working in seats involve at Boeing? The engineers on my team work closely with engineers at seat suppliers to validate detailed design and collect test data to show seats are compliant with all regulatory and integration requirements. Every inch of the seat is meticulously evaluated to ensure that it does not harm a passenger in flight, or in the rare case of an emergency. Most
people are surprised when they learn how much testing an airplane seat goes through. We also work closely with our airline customers since they are typically heavily involved in the design, look and feel of their seats. It’s exciting to work closely with airlines on a product they care so much about. Airlines often utilize seats to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
Do you feel like what you studied in college prepared you for this role? Yes. Mechanical engineering gave me a technical foundation and sharp analytical skills that I have put into practice in my daily work. Everything I have learned about airplanes, I learned from my various engineering roles and from aerospace experts. My leadership skills came from lots and lots of mistakes, reflection, practice and trusting my gut.
What do you like most about working in aerospace engineering? Aside from the fact that aerospace is an interesting and complex field with a wide range of career opportunities, I’m like a kid again when I see a plane in the sky! There is no better feeling than when I look up and see a plane approaching Seattle that I know I worked on.
What do you find most challenging about your job? Honestly, I love what I do. I enjoy it and I’m passionate about it. The biggest challenge right now is managing a team of people through one of the most difficult and uncertain times in commercial aerospace history. My team looks to me for optimism, and oftentimes come to me with questions I don’t have answers to. It’s tough, but I do my best to be there for my team and focus on what I can do as a technical leader to have a positive impact."
What’s it like to be a woman working in aerospace engineering? Are there a lot of women in your field? Engineering, like most other STEM fields, is male dominated. It’s a reminder for me of how important it is to be my best, and to help empower other women.
I love this quote by Isaac Newton: ‘If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.’ I’m proud to be a black, female leader in engineering. I am not apologetic about that. I’ve learned that I don’t need to downplay my femininity to be effective. I also recognize that there are women who have helped blaze the trail for me, and that I have a responsibility to help others.
I’ve had great mentors that helped me discover who I am and that served as examples of strong leaders for me. I encourage the women and men that I mentor to be authentic, and be proud of who they are. Love yourself, be confident in yourself, and that will help in all your interactions.
What advice do you have for students or alumni looking for a mentor of their own? You can find mentorships in places and in people you may not expect. That person doesn’t necessarily need to have everything you’re looking for, or look like you, or have the same life experiences as you. It’s important to remember that you can learn something from everyone. Also, be willing to be vulnerable. Be willing to put yourself out there a bit and ask questions. Recognize that mentor relationships—like any relationship—require two people to have chemistry. You may find that it takes a while to find the right mentor.
Are there any teachers that stand out from your time at Webb?
The teacher I remember the most is Edwina Foster. I’ll never forget her most important lesson: be authentic. I didn’t even realize she was teaching me that until years later.
She encouraged me to be myself, be proud of that and unapologetic. By leading people and connecting with people, I’ve realized how powerful it is to be confident in who you are. She taught me that lesson through her guidance on the papers I wrote, including my chapel talk. At that time in my life I had not yet found my voice. When you’re younger, there’s a pull to fit in or emulate whatever you think is cool. She was a strong influence to be authentic, just own it, and be yourself.
What do you remember most from your time at Webb? The most important memories I carry with me are some of the close relationships that I built, and I am lucky to still have several of those people in my life. There’s something about being young living away from home. You form close-knit relationships with people that feel like family.
newsnotes ALUMNI THE WEBB SCHOOLS SPOTLIGHT ead of H
Will Allan ’94 Schools Taylor Stockdale was working in the admissions office when Allan first
Life at Webb revolves discovered Webb. After initially being uninterested in applying, his mother around its students was surprised when he agreed to take a tour of the schools. and the faculty and staff “I remember on the drive up, I was that make the schools pretty skeptical,” Allan says. “That one tour — that really changed my mind.” feel like home. As an Little did Allan know that he would alumnus and beloved not only become a student at Webb, but history teacher, later return to the schools as a teacher, where he has taught and coached
Will Allan ’94 is one students for 21 years. of the few alumni who Allan says he started as a traditional history teacher, focused on subjects has experienced both. like US and world history, but has by Jessica Rice ’12 branched out to more contemporary subjects including the Constitution, entrepreneurship and economics. He currently teaches two courses: “Foundations of Civilization” and “Press, Politics and American Power.”
When Allan reflects on his time as a student, he remembers being dedicated to academics and sports, and quiet in class. When former Head of Schools Susan Nelson first told Allan he had been hired to teach at Webb in 1999, he wondered how he would adjust to the new role. “I remember I hung up the phone and said, ‘What did I just get into? I’m going to be leading and teaching the class?’ That was out of my comfort zone for sure,” he says.
Decades later, Allan not only teaches history, but also serves as dorm head of Holt and Kirkhill, JV football coach, and advisor to business and investment-oriented clubs.
His favorite thing about teaching at Webb are his interactions with students and faculty.
“The faculty at Webb is so dynamic and so thoughtful and so bright, it’s really inspiring to work with folks like that,” he says. “The students are the same or better. The students have a lot to say and a lot going on in their minds. To be able to tap into that and extract that kind of passion and that intelligence is probably the best part.”
During his time as a teacher and coach, Allan learned how to adapt to daily challenges and keep students engaged.
Whether it’s bringing the class back after the discussion goes on a tangent, or deciding to take a time out during a game, “you need to be able to pivot and really think on your feet,” he says. “But honestly that’s what makes it interesting. That’s the kind of personal interaction that I like — that no two days are the same and no two students are the same.”
This year brought a new set of changes and challenges when the schools pivoted to a virtual teaching format in March. Although some academic processes have not shifted drastically, Allan misses some of the interactions that come with teaching classes in person.
“The assessment part is not as different, but seeing how they’re doing as people and how they’re doing holistically — that’s the challenge,” he explains. “It’s harder to gauge how the class and individual students are doing.”
He has adapted by starting off classes with an icebreaker to engage with students. For example, instead of simply asking students how they are doing, he asks questions about what songs they like or what song describes how they are feeling that day.
He keeps in touch with some of the friends he made as a student at Webb. The only people he has seen over the quarantine have been Webb friends.
Get to know Will Allan
What is your favorite spot on campus? Chandler Field. It’s a place where I have a lot of memories, and its own spooky little microclimate. It’s always 15 degrees colder there.
What was your favorite subject as a student at Webb? US History & Physics. I like the stories of history and the personalities in history, but also learning about the macro events, what really happened, why they’re important and how they impact the world. I like the fact that physics is tangible, and that I can visualize what’s going on.
Who was your favorite teacher as a student at Webb? Dave Fawcett ’61 or Coach Pride. I think they were the two teachers that I really respected and also learned a lot from. Dave later became a colleague of mine and a powerful mentor.
Favorite dining hall meal? Sunday brunch or Al Alvarez’s carrot cake. I’ve never tasted carrot cake like that since he retired.
