Lectsuli Videa and the ring on her pinky

BY CAROLINE CRAIN

News Editor

The Obligation of the Engineer bears no light weight. Literally.

The ceremony is rooted in a cautionary tale. Decades ago, Canadian engineers built a steel bridge without following the ethics and core values of their profession. The bridge failed, and lives were lost. From that tragedy came a symbol: the Engineer’s ring. Worn on the pinky of the dominant hand, it serves as a constant reminder that every signature, every project, carries weight. When the steel ring touches paper, it carries the values and integrity of the engineering profession.

Lectsuli Videa earned her place in the Order of the Engineer in May, a milestone she approaches with seriousness and care.

Growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, the middle child of seven, Videa was raised by her mother, who immigrated from Honduras. Education was never guaranteed; her mother left school early, and none of her siblings initially pursued college. But Videa knew she wanted something different.

“My mom never got the chance to go to school. She made it to sixth grade, and after that, her parents did not want her to go to school, so they refused to give her an education,” Videa said. “And I think from there on forward, I decided to make it my mission of, not only do I want to pursue education, but I want to help others do the same.”

Drawn to math and science, she pursued a mechanical engineering major with a minor in electrical engineering, although she knew the path would not be easy.

“I think for the first two years, my family had a hard time trying to understand how time-consuming and rigorous college is, especially engineering,” Videa said. “Junior year they started to notice how hard I was working, and then after a while they understood… but they’ve always been supportive. They don’t quite understand what I’m doing or how school works, but they’ve always been supportive on anything that they can do.”

Without family guidance, Lectsuli turned to campus communities, joining the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE). At her first post-COVID meeting with only four attendees, she and three classmates—Grace Mivelaz, Anissa Reyes and Kevin Burleson—were nominated as officers on the spot. From that start, she grew into a confident leader.

Through TSPE, she connected with engineering students and professionals and learned how to run outreach programs like MATHCOUNTS, a competition that bridged middle school students to scholarships and engineering pathways.

Dr. Kartik Venkataraman, an environmental engineering professor and faculty advisor for TSPE, said that Videa’s presence in the organization will be difficult to replace.

“It’ll be hard to fill her shoes from the TSPE student chapter perspective, simply because someone like her is a rare find,” Venkataraman said. “Somebody who goes out there and recruits students and says, ‘This is my experience, and if you join this organization, this is what you get out of it,’ or ‘Hey, let’s go on a Saturday to Fort Worth and volunteer for MATHCOUNTS.’” It’s hard to find that sort of motivation in others and to find somebody who would be able to turn around and get other peers to do that. And those are really big shoes to fill for anybody.”

Despite never having Videa in his classroom, Venkataraman recognized her impact.

“She’s just such a well-rounded individual that if you ask, ‘From the past five years, who really represents Tarleton well – who will be ambassadors for the program, go out into the industry and show professionals what Tarleton majors can do, encouraging them to recruit more from us?’ One of the first names that comes to mind is Lectsuli,” Venkataraman said.

Around that same time, Videa attended her first Society of Women Engineers (SWE) meeting. SWE offered a female-led space to learn how to speak up, be taken seriously and lead without being labeled.

“I found my community, a community of strong girls,” Videa said.

She moved into officer roles, serving as secretary for two years, and used the position to create supportive routines and networking opportunities for other women in engineering.

Ana Rea, the current TSPE vice president and SWE risk manager, reflected on how Videa, along with Reyes and Mivelaz, touched both organizations.

“She did a lot. She, Anissa and Grace were the first officers, and they really got it running. They went to the Capitol and advocated for us, and TSPE and SWE are as big as they are because of those three.”

Rea made it clear that Videa created an inviting community and made students feel supported.

“She helped every single student that had a question… she’s really helpful and welcoming, and she offers help without making it seem like you’re begging for it,” Rea said. “If I had a question, I would go to her. She was always really nice because I felt a little out of place when I first started being an officer.”

Perhaps the most personal, though, was the Organization of Latinx American Students (OLAS).

“I think I had a culture shock when I got to Tarleton. I grew up in a part of Fort Worth where it was very Hispanic, very Spanish, very much my community, my culture. When I got to Tarleton, it was completely opposite, full 360,” Videa said. “And also just being a freshman and first-gen, you feel alone. You feel really alone. Like, no one understands me. No one knows what I’m going through. No one gets what I’m talking about. No one knows this reference. I miss my home-cooked meals from my mom… And then with OLAS, I think I got all that. I got that community.”

So, OLAS became a space where she reclaimed a home away from home. At the end of her freshman year, a risk management officer position opened with no applicants. Encouraged by friends, Videa ran, gave an impromptu speech and won the position.

The following year, Videa stepped into the role of OLAS president. Under her leadership, OLAS expanded from a small group into a community with over 80 attendees at the first meeting. She oversaw events, ensuring members had both fun and meaningful opportunities to connect in the way she did when she first joined campus.

Videa also represented OLAS and Tarleton at the Student Conference On Latinx Affairs (SCOLA) conference hosted by Texas A&M in 2023, presenting on the challenges Latinx and Hispanic students face in STEM.

“Being an engineer, it just seemed fitting,” Videa said. “That was a very fun moment, just going to the conference, and not just representing myself, Latinas in STEM, but also representing OLAS and Tarleton as a whole. That was a very great experience.”

Marcus Brown, a graduate adviser, got to know Videa when he was a support services coordinator and adviser for OLAS. He witnessed the SCOLA presentation firsthand.

“I think one of the most proud I’ve been of her was when we went to Texas A&M and presented at a conference. Her section that she presented on, it was full. Like it was the most attended session out of all of the sessions. And she did a really good job of that, and I was super proud of her,” Brown said. “I think she represented our university well. I think she represented herself well and our organization well, as well.”

Brown said that despite everything she’s done, Videa rarely puts herself in the spotlight.

“She does not give herself enough credit for all that she’s done. When you talk to her, she would never say that she did it in the way I just did,” Brown said. “But I was there. She did it. And so there’s a humility there that I appreciate.”

She also worked in the dean’s office as a student secretary, a role that put her in close contact with university leadership and led to introductions with figures like Dwain Mayfield, the engineering building’s namesake. From that post she became an engineering ambassador, representing the college to prospective students, parents and guests.

Emily Kelley, a friend and fellow ambassador, reflected on Videa’s initiative.

“I think those who have met her will try to strive to become as good leaders as her, try to make organizations functional and try to contribute rather than just sitting on the sidelines,” Kelley said.

Her involvement didn’t go unnoticed. In 2023, she was honored with the Tarleton First Award, highlighting first-generation students who have demonstrated determination to overcome barriers in pursuit of an education.

For Videa, the recognition was both unexpected and deeply meaningful. She learned about the award while at SCOLA, and Brown immediately insisted they celebrate.

“It was such a good memory to celebrate that – very, very proud. I might have teared up a little bit,” Videa said. “It’s just one of those things where I didn’t think I was going to get an award for anything at all. I still have it, my parents have it at their home, just on display. It’s one of those things that I’ll take from Tarleton with me.”

As Videa neared the end of college, she stepped back from officer duties to focus on her capstone project and internship, while remaining available to mentor the next wave of leaders.

Through her capstone project in May—where she and her team built an automated, remote sensing system to help towns pursue dark‑sky certification—she connected with Freese and Nichols, a leading company in engineering and environmental services.

As an intern now, she plans to join Freese and Nichols full time after graduation, working in mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems while pursuing dual professional engineering licenses.

Even as she prepares for her career, her drive is fueled by more than career goals. She recalls one story from her younger brother’s elementary school days that serves as a major motivator for her devotion to her craft.

“There’s always this story where he got to do the little battery with a light bulb, and he was telling his teacher like, ‘Oh my God, that’s what my sister does. She’s an engineer. That’s what she does,’” Videa said.

That moment lit a sense of responsibility she carries with her still.

“Everything we have is material, except the things we have in our brains. So my knowledge, that’s something that one can never take away from me. So I keep going to school, and I think doing the same for others really gives me the passion to keep going, too.”

For Videa, the ring on her pinky symbolizes an engineer’s obligation far more than tradition. It represents a promise to honor those who came before her, to share her knowledge with those who follow and to turn her experiences into something that lasts far beyond herself.