ODA alumna Caty Castro ’19 blends innovation, leadership, and creativity in the world of electrical engineering.
Not every career path begins with a perfectly mapped-out plan – and for ODA alumna Caty Castro ’19, that uncertainty became one of her greatest strengths.
Like many students entering college, Caty knew she was drawn to science, problem-solving, and discovery, but she had not yet defined exactly what form that future would take. What followed became a journey shaped not by rigid expectations, but by curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to embrace unexpected opportunities.
When Caty applied to Mercer University, she wasn’t even certain engineering was her future. Encouraged by ODA’s college counselors to explore the field because of her strong science and math background, she took the lead – and it paid off. Caty earned a full Presidential Scholarship to Mercer, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering.
Biomedical engineering allowed Caty to combine multiple interests into one field, blending analytical thinking with real-world applications connected to medicine, technology, and innovation. As she progressed through the program, she discovered that engineering was not simply about equations or technical systems, but about creating practical solutions that can improve the way people live and work.
While she loved the program, she quickly discovered the realities of the job market.
“Finding an entry-level biomedical engineering role in the South can be challenging,” Caty explained. “There are opportunities, but many are highly competitive, require specialized graduate degrees, or focus heavily on lab work that can underutilize engineering skills.”
Instead of viewing that challenge as a setback, Caty saw an opportunity to expand her skill set.
Rather than narrowing her focus, she began looking for ways to broaden it. The experience reinforced an important lesson many young professionals face after college: career paths are rarely linear, and flexibility can often become one of the greatest professional advantages.
Inspired by her favorite college courses in bioinstrumentation, she leaned into the electrical side of engineering and enrolled in Mercer’s 4+1 accelerated master’s program, completing her Master’s in Electrical Engineering in just one year while working part-time. Even better, courses completed during her senior year counted toward the program were covered through her scholarship.
The transition proved to be a natural fit. Through advanced coursework and hands-on technical projects, Caty further developed her interests in hardware systems, instrumentation, and applied engineering design, areas that would later become central to her professional career.
After graduation, Caty began her job search without Northrop Grumman on her radar.
“I didn’t think they would hire someone with my background or have work I would enjoy,” She said, “Fortunately, I was very wrong.”
At Northrop Grumman’s Warner Robins, Georgia location, Caty found not only a thriving engineering environment but also a surprising number of Mercer graduates – including fellow biomedical engineers.
The experience quickly challenged her assumptions about what opportunities might exist for someone with an interdisciplinary engineering background. Instead of feeling limited by her educational path, she discovered that her combination of biomedical and electrical engineering experience offered a unique perspective within highly collaborative technical environments.
For the past two years, she has worked as an electrical engineer on an internally funded research and design initiative called Tactical Edge. The program develops custom small-form-factor electronic warfare (EW) payloads tested across a wide range of platforms, from unmanned ground vehicles to aerial drones.
Her work has allowed her to develop a diverse technical toolkit, including hardware engineering, firmware development, and circuit card design – but Caty’s role extends beyond technical innovation.
In a field often stereotyped as highly specialized or isolated, Caty has discovered that communication, collaboration, and adaptability are equally essential skills. Modern engineering projects rely on teams that can problem-solve creatively, respond quickly to challenges, and communicate effectively across disciplines.
She has also stepped into leadership opportunities, including leading her team’s demonstration efforts at SOF Week in Tampa, a major defense and special operations conference.
At the event, Caty and her team operated a tethered drone equipped with their payload, demonstrating their technology at 200 feet in the air.
The experience gave her the opportunity not only to showcase technical innovation, but also to represent her team in a highly visible professional setting, an opportunity that combined engineering expertise with leadership and public-facing communication.
And in a small but meaningful ODA connection, the convention brought an unexpected reunion: while in attendance, Caty ran into Nick Morgan ‘20, another ODA alumnus.
Though her career path may not have followed the conventional blueprint she once imagined, Caty wouldn’t change it.
“I certainly didn’t plan to end up where I did,” she reflected, “but I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had.”
Today, she is a passionate advocate for engineering – especially encouraging young women to consider the field.
As someone who entered college unsure of exactly where engineering might lead, Caty hopes other students, especially young women, understand that there is no single “type” of engineer. The field benefits from a wide range of personalities, experiences, and strengths.
“Engineering is an incredibly rewarding and valuable field with so much versatility,” Caty shared, “It needs all kinds of people – not just those who ace every math and science exam, but creative thinkers, strong communicators, and people with diverse strengths.”
That message reflects much of Caty’s own journey: a career shaped not by following a perfectly predictable path, but by remaining open to growth, new challenges, and evolving interests.
Looking back, Caty credits ODA with preparing her not only for college, but for the broader journey that followed.
She believes that exposure to different disciplines, experiences, and perspectives helped build the confidence and adaptability that continue to serve her today in a rapidly evolving field.
From biomedical engineering to electrical innovation, leadership in cutting-edge research, and inspiring the next generation of engineers, Caty’s story is proof that sometimes the most impactful paths are the ones you never expect to take.
