Hi, I’m Joseph Saavedra.
I’m a Mechanical Engineer in Training (EIT) and a graduate of Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington. I’m currently based in Southern California and focused on building my career as a mechanical engineer working in hands-on design, mechanisms, and electromechanical systems.
My path to engineering has been a long one, shaped by persistence, growth, and a gradual understanding of what engineering could truly be. I originally graduated high school in 2009 and began pursuing engineering soon after. By 2013, the difficulty of the degree led me to question whether this path was right for me. I spent several years working, reflecting, and learning more about myself and what kind of work I found meaningful.
That perspective began to shift during a trip to Disneyland in 2016. Seeing how Disney’s Imagineers blended engineering with storytelling helped me realize that engineering could be more than equations and specifications. It could be creative, human-centered, and impactful. That experience reframed what engineering meant to me and gave me the motivation to return to my degree with renewed purpose.
I completed my Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in May 2021 while working part-time, and in 2018 I was also accepted into the Disney College Program, where I gained exposure to safety-critical systems and operational reliability in a guest-facing environment. In August 2024, I earned my Engineer in Training licensure, marking an important milestone in my professional journey.
Since graduating, I’ve continued developing my skills through hands-on engineering work, including the design and fabrication of complex mechanical and electromechanical systems. I’m especially interested in mechanisms, prototyping, and system integration, and I enjoy projects that require taking an idea from concept through physical realization and testing.
My goal is to keep learning, growing, and collaborating with other engineers to build systems that move, work reliably, and improve the way people interact with the world around them. Whether in aerospace, themed entertainment, or other hardware-focused industries, I’m motivated by engineering that is both technically rigorous and thoughtfully designed.