This 23-year-old Lady Joins Top 1% of Black Women with Engineering Degrees

Jayla McCoy, a 23-year-old University of Kentucky graduate, joined the top 1% of Black women globally with engineering degrees through resilience, mentorship, scholarships, and elite internships, ultimately securing a full-time role at ExxonMobil.

Jayla McCoy, a 23-year-old graduate from the University of Kentucky, has joined the top 1% of Black women worldwide with engineering degrees. Her achievement marks a major milestone in her academic and professional journey.

Jayla began her engineering path in 2019, shortly after high school. Her journey was challenging, filled with determination and resilience. “Becoming an engineer was the hardest thing I’ve done,” she shared on LinkedIn.

Her achievement places her among 1% of Black women engineers globally and 3.3% of engineers worldwide who are Black, highlighting the diversity gap. Jayla often found herself as the only woman or person of color in professional spaces, advocating for herself.

Jayla credits her family, NSBE mentorship, and $25,000 scholarships for her success. She participated in prestigious programs like Stanford’s SERGE and Harvard’s SVMP, interned at Northrop Grumman, Toyota, and GE Appliances.

She held leadership roles, including NSBE UK Chapter President, and earned awards like the 2022 Lyman T. Johnson Torch Bearer Award. Post-graduation, Jayla secured a full-time role at ExxonMobil.

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SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, SCHOLARSHIP REGION