Maria Zamora shares how supportive professors helped her earn a chemical engineering degree and a job with a Fortune 500 company
Maria Zamora and her family moved from El Salvador to Mississippi when she was three. Brought up a Rebels fan, she said choosing Ole Miss Engineering was a ‘no brainer.’ She decided to go after a degree in chemical engineering. She also participated in the Haley Barbour Center of Manufacturing Excellence.
Encouraging professors
“The chemical engineering program is small, which just increased its appeal,” she said. “I was able to get to know my professors very well and had plenty of opportunities to discuss and understand the material.”
Maria credits John O’Haver, professor of chemical engineering, with helping her find a balance between academics, work and a social life.
“His class helped me understand that it’s OK to not understand immediately and it’s OK to ask for help,” she said. “I have had breakdowns because of the combination of course load, working and other life situations.
“Dr. O’Haver helped me understand that getting help is important and doesn’t mean that you are any lesser. We are all in each other’s lives to support and encourage one another.”
From internship to full-time job
Ole Miss Engineering helped Maria get some real-world experience while still in school. In 2019, she interned at International Paper in Memphis along with two other engineering students.
She knew this was where she wanted to be. She said “I always wanted to work for a company like IP because they are active in the community, environmentally-conscious and care for their employees.”
Maria joined International Paper in 2020 as an information technology specialist.
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