Hello! I’m Yessenia Henriquez from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas & College of Southern Nevada BattChallenge team, and I’m known as the communications director/lead for the team. I have also taken on the role of assistant project manager for some projects throughout the spring semester.
My main inspiration for being a part of this team is that the information and skill sets used from this competition’s workshops, events and networking are vastly different than what I am pursuing for my degree. I am pursuing a bachelor’s in entertainment engineering and design, which focuses on combining engineering principles with artistic designs used in the entertainment industry. Some examples of this degree in the field are scenic design, such as designing/building stages; AV equipment services; automated/control systems operation; and much more. Even before pursuing my college career, I had my primary goal of continuing to learn all topics that may or may not fall within my degree.
As for taking on the comms role, I was with the team when it started in the fall of 2023, so many roles were being established. I took an interest because my communication skills with technical information were lacking. Unexpectedly, there were a lot more tasks that took place, but provided me with an eye-opening revelation that safety concepts oddly interest me.
An example of this was working on the facilities binder and writing down/considering what factors come into play for not only this year but potentially next year. I enjoy writing down plans and organizing my thoughts in a document, so this was an interesting challenge for me to tackle. Granted, we may not have done well in year one, but it provided powerful insight into how universal safety practices are. The domino personal impact of this small, well it wasn’t so small, deliverable was pursuing a free safety and health practitioner program offered by the Nevada Safety Consultation and Training Section, which offers occupational health and safety consultations, trainings and classes. It’ll be a while until I finish the program, but I’m confident that this information will help me in my professional career.
As for the Battery Workforce Challenge standing out for my specific resume, it will be a hit for showing leadership skills. After doing several interviews and resume reviews during the spring 2024 semester, I had many employers centered toward my degree mention how showing my communications lead and assistant PM roles signifies demonstrated leadership experience.
When giving examples of how I work in a team, I mentioned the experiences of year one of the competition for the UNLV & CSN BattChallenge team. Examples included everyday tasks, such as scheduling and sending meeting announcements, to major deliverables coming up like the facilities binder to Green Garage blogs. The BattChallenge has given me a strong foundation, helping me stand out among my peers.
For students interested in joining year two of the BattChallenge, I say don’t be afraid to take part in any deliverable task because it will contribute to the team in some capacity. Even if you believe you lack knowledge in a field, there will always be a teammate to help assist you – whether from your team, Argonne National Laboratory or other members of the BattChallenge.
Another awesome aspect of being in the BattChallenge is the opportunity to travel out of state! I never had the privilege to do something as ambitious as travel out of state via plane and stay in a Hilton hotel, so all of it was exhilarating. Also, getting the chance to talk to other teams and see their passions and work processes of how they operate is always valuable. It’s a great chance to learn from them and see how they bring everyone together despite the turmoil of meeting deliverables.
