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Latinx Experiences at Hanford: Michelle Molina

Manhattan Project National Historical Park

A woman with long brown hair wears a yellow hardhat, orange safety vest and holds a leather glove in her hand. She stands in front of a metal building with her hands crossed in front of her.
Engineer Michelle Molina working at Hanford

Photo courtesy of Michelle Molina

Many people in the Tri-Cities have origin stories that include migration, dedication to family, hard work and contributions to the community. The origin stories of Latinas and Latinos are no different. The Hanford Latinx Experiences oral history interviews share the experiences of just a handful of the many Latinas and Latinos who have contributed unique skills to the development of the Manhattan Project, to Hanford, and to the Tri-Cities. These stories reflect the lives of many people who helped build a place that hundreds of thousands call home today.

Michelle Molina grew up in Quito, Ecuador. In her interview, she shares memories of living in Ecuador with friends and family as well as adjustments she made in her move to the Tri-Cities as a teenager in 2009. Many of the ways Michelle found community in the Tri-Cities was connecting with other students who had roots outside the United States. ; hHer involvement with the International Club at Hanford High School was a definitive moment in her transition to life in the Tri-Cities. Michelle pursued an education and an eventual career in engineering. After college, she found work at the Waste Treatment and Completion Company as a vit-plant engineer. Michelle has contributed to cleaning up Hanford’s nuclear waste since 2018, is now working for Washington River Protection Solutions, and has found essential support from Women in Engineering—a professional organization committed to promoting women in engineering and STEM.

Listen to audio clips from Michelle’s interview with Drew Gamboa on October 18, 2024.

Last updated: February 11, 2025