Latisha Redcross started engineering studies at Virginia Peninsula Community College to secure her future in an ideal career. She had no inkling the road to her degree would span more than a decade.
For Redcross, that long road included job changes, marriage, motherhood and a pandemic.
“I was working full time, raising a family and going to school part time. There were challenges … getting married, having kids and having to try to go back (to school) in the midst of that,” said the mom of three, noting she’d pause her education for each birth. “I would take one or two classes at a time … being discouraged by the fact that I didn’t have instant success and that it was taking so long.”
Cut to 2025, and Redcross is an engineering technician III with Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding. It’s a career she built on steady progress and mettle. She entered the field in 2010 with an entry-level position at Canon Virginia in Newport News, advancing to engineering assistant, then engineering technician. She left Canon in 2020 for a position at the shipyard.
Her job responsibilities today involve technical collaboration, supporting vendor calculations and coordinating with departments to ensure materials meet precise drawing specifications.
Redcross is following in her father’s footsteps and gives him much of the credit for her direction and determination to stay the course.
“He’s the one who pushed me to be an engineer. At a young age, I was always trying to fix things and figure out how things work. So, my dad kind of picked up on that. He was a huge influence,” she said, pointing out he built four houses in his lifetime, showing her “great things take time.”
“My dad had a big influence on my career choice. My dad’s kind of legendary,” she added with a smile. “He went to the shipyard right out of high school, and he went through the apprenticeship program, so I had kind of the same idea. But he said, ‘No. You’re smart enough to go to college.’”
That nudge was all she needed. She enrolled at Old Dominion University in 2007 but stepped away in spring 2008, replacing classes with employment to save money for college costs. Around 2010, she tried again — this time at VPCC, attracted by its affordability and proximity to home as she navigated classes and a full-time job.
“I think when I started at Canon, I did second shift, and I had a couple of morning classes. That didn’t last long. Eventually, I started doing evening classes,” she said.
Balancing work, family and education became her way of life. The VPCC student experience was not only about mastering engineering basics for Redcross. It was also about endurance. She didn’t give up thanks to constant encouragement from Professor Ji Hyon Mun, head of the College’s engineering program.
A Bethel High School graduate, she would have been content with the associate degree she earned in December 2020, if not for Mun. She urged Redcross to take the next step, transfer to ODU and finish what she started years ago.
“It was during the pandemic. She told me most of my classes (would) be online,” she recounted, pointing out she also learned tuition would be paid by her employer. “I said, ‘OK. So, if it doesn’t work out, I don’t lose anything but time. I’ll just try it.’ Eventually, it got to the point where I’d gotten too far to quit.”
This month, Redcross proudly received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from ODU.
She doesn’t take any accomplishments lightly, attributing everything that’s come her way to a higher power. Redcross leans heavily on her faith. She emphasized it’s how she was raised, and faith keeps her grounded.
“My faith is really a big foundation in my life. My parents always taught me to be a good steward over the things I have been blessed with. That in itself builds character,” she affirmed.
“So, when I look back on my experiences, even though (at one time) I didn’t have the degree, I feel like God showed me favor in a lot of the opportunities that I got. Looking at the blessings that I already had really kept me strong,” she said of her lengthy higher education journey.
She’s grateful for her supportive parents, siblings and her husband, Julian, of 10 years. Family has been vital to her success. And Redcross gleefully admits her children, ages 9, 8 and 3, are her greatest motivators.
“They were too young to understand what was going on, and they still probably are. They really encouraged me to keep going,” she said. “I reflect on how much my dad’s story has encouraged me to move forward. Now I get to share that with my kids, and now they’re interested in math and science as well.”
“I asked my son, ‘How do you feel about mommy finally graduating?’ He’s just glad that I will have more time for them. But I was like, ‘If Mommy can do great things, then you can too.’ That moment was really powerful for me,” she exclaimed, noting now her children can remember her long academic journey and how she stuck with it as encouragement in the future.
While she knows it’s important to look ahead, she’s happy savoring the moment for now before charting her next move.
“None of this was planned, so I’m just enjoying it right now. I’ve been waiting for this for so long. For a long time, this has been my focus, and I think it’s just time for me to enjoy it,” she mused. “I’m looking forward to advancing in my career, of course.”
Redcross, a Hampton resident, is also excited about finally having free time for other things, including hobbies — pottery and painting. Although she hasn’t practiced the pottery wheel, she asserts she does just fine, making “everything by hand.” That includes bowls, coffee mugs and even a pencil holder.
“It’s fun doing those things even if it doesn’t come out perfect,” she said.
What’s perfect, in her estimation, is the jumpstart VPCC afforded and its impact on her career.
“I think just the endurance that comes with having to do a rigorous program … it really helped me with organization skills and how to prioritize,” said Redcross.