 
During my last year in high school, I was sure about studying Marine Engineering. I thought ships were one of the most important engineering projects I could be involved in. I started my studies in 2000 at the Naval Architects and Marine Engineers School at the Technical University of Cartagena. In 2005 I continued my studies beginning the PhD Course in Industrial Technologies. My doctoral thesis is about “Modeling Internal Combustion Processes in Diesel Engines”.
Simultaneously, my professional career as engineer started in 2006 in one of the most important shipyards in Europe, “Navantia” at the Spanish city of Cartagena. In those early days I worked for the Engineering Department of the Newbuilding Division for the “Scorpene” Submarine Program for Chile and Malaysia.
A year later I got the chance to change to the Engineering Department of the Engine Division of the company, where I was involved in the interesting task of research and analysis of engine break-downs. During these years, I had the opportunity of travelling around the world and visit several ships and their engine rooms, in order to solve incidences and problems on the propulsion systems on board (I’ve travelled to many regions and countries as Patagonia in Argentina, Cyprus or most of the main industrial cities in Germany).
Afterwards, I began to work at the Quality Department of the Engine Division of “Navantia Cartagena”, and I have the opportunity to work in a team to carry out the implantation of the “process management system”.
Nowadays, I´m in charge of the Production Department of the Engine Division of “Navantia Cartagena”, and this position is a real challenge to my professional career because I lead a team of more than 150 people and all of us must assure the best quality in our engines as a symbol of our great tradition in Spanish Naval Industry.
This season, I´m attending the International Welding Engineer Master (IWE), because welding and the metallurgy are crucial subjects in shipbuilding.
In parallel to the development of my professional career, I decided to maintain my relationship with the Technical University of Cartagena, and since 2008, I work as a part time teacher at the Naval Architects and Marine Engineers School, teaching the subject of “Ships Propulsion Systems”. My personal opinion is that senior engineers must keep in touch with the student community and try to transfer them their professional experiences.
Actually, I belong to two of the most important professional associations of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, such as AINE in Spain and SNAME in USA. As far as I´m concerned, a good engineer must know the new trends in engineering and keep in touch with his colleagues.
On balance, Naval Engineering has allowed me to develop a very interesting professional career, to learn the “know how” of other countries as Germany and to travel all around the world. If I would have to take a new decision about my professional future in my last year of high school, I would choose Marine Engineering. | 
