Alumni Currents
Staying in touch with our family of graduates
ALUMNUS OF NOTE
Hector Gonzalez ’17
A long but rewarding journey from technician to engineer
W
hile many Walla Walla University alumni have seen God lead in their lives in profound ways, Hector Gonzalez knows from personal experience that sometimes God’s plan is not clear from the beginning—but it is always the most rewarding.
By the end of high school, Gonzalez already had big dreams for his future— he wanted to become a doctor, pilot, or engineer. However, those goals were not doable at that time, he says. “I ended up going for something close to that, which was getting my Airframe and Powerplant license.” For the next 15 years he worked not as an engineer but as an aircraft technician in the Seattle area where his passion for aviation grew. After marrying his wife, Kisna (Toruno) ’07, and moving to Walla Walla where she worked at the time, Gonzalez thought, “Why not give it a shot to actually try to make one of my childhood dreams a reality and become an engineer?” In 2013, he enrolled at WWU and began completing an engineering degree in four years as a married, 31-year-old student. “I put all the effort and everything I could into making my dream a reality, let God do the rest, and it worked out,” he says. Gonzalez completed his bachelor of science degree in engineering in 2017, but his career in the airline industry would be far from straightforward. After graduation, Gonzalez was offered a position as quality engineer with Lockheed Martin’s missile program. Despite being impressed by their facilities, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his work there would not align with his morals. “This is not something that I should be doing,” he reasoned. So, he prayed that God would show him if there was anything else that he should be doing. A week before he was set to start work, Gonzalez received a call from Delta Air Lines. The timing was perfect. “I was raised Catholic,” says Gonzalez, “but since I became a Seventh-day Adventist, I have established a real relationship with God. I feel like He was in control the entire time. When a door opened for me to become an engineer, I knew it was God who did it.” Since joining the competitive airline industry, Gonzalez has worked for three of the largest airlines in the southwestern region of the United States—Southwest Airlines, Delta Airlines, and currently, American Airlines. Working as an aircraft configuration management engineer based in Fort Worth, Texas, Gonzalez reviews and approves parts for use on American’s aircraft and oversees the company’s internal parts and inventory tracking system by analyzing specifications from a variety of parties to help maintain safety of flight. The process involves a
By Kelsi Nash
complex and tightly controlled system that requires the complete package—precision, experience, knowledge, communication skills, and education. Stepping into this position was another unexpected step in God’s plan for Gonzalez. He started a week before the COVID-19 pandemic began to significantly impact the United States. “I feel like God led me here because I’m still employed with American Airlines, but some of my colleagues are no longer employed at Delta,” he says. The position also allowed him to move closer to his parents in a place he feels more at home. Once again, God provided. Throughout his career, Gonzalez has been reminded of the need to be open to God’s leading. “I feel like sometimes we think we have a plan, but God has other plans. He wants to teach you something else before you get to the point where you actually wanted to be to begin with.” Though the big dreams for his future were a bit delayed, Gonzalez is sure that his initial work as an aircraft technician helped him land a highly competitive internship and later the jobs that made his career so impactful. Gonzalez adds that his education played a significant role in preparing him for the advanced work he is doing now. At WWU he enjoyed working directly with professors and received a strong spiritual foundation, difference-makers that some of his colleagues who attended big universities missed out on, he says. He has especially benefited from the good communication skills that WWU helped him develop. To ensure work on the aircraft is completed precisely and without errors, he works with a team of professionals who each have highly specialized and diverse skill sets. His ability to apply his academic knowledge and communicate complex ideas in imperfect scenarios is crucial, and he feels it is key to his success. Though it was not what Gonzalez originally imagined, God’s plan and timing has been a blessing, he says. “Getting my engineering degree on top of my previous experience—that has all carried me to this point where I have the skills and knowledge to make a difference.”
When a door opened for me to become an engineer, I knew it was God who did it.”
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Westwind Summer/Fall 2021
photograph by KAITLYN LIVELY
