Published October 1, 2026

Andrew Salinas is trading his wrench for blueprints, a day he never imagined when he first started on 737 assemblies. He moved from the line into fabrication as a mechanic and then into manufacturing planning for fabrication, all while using our Learning Together tuition assistance program to finance his education at the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT). Now Andrew’s graduating as an engineer with a rare blend of shop‑floor know‑how and manufacturing planning insight, able to bridge design and assembly in ways few engineers can.

“Good engineering begins with talking to the people who do the work,” Andrew said. “It's probably the most important part of our job.

(Andrew Salinas photo)

Engineering inspiration:

Andrew didn’t reach this point alone. He credits support from his wife, Emily Soltys, who is also a Boeing engineer.

“She was a liaison engineer when I met her, and when she moved to process engineering and I heard about her role, it deepened my interests and built excitement for my own work,” Andrew said.

Andrew says the shared background lets him have more technical, theory-based discussions with his wife, which helps him connect practical shop-floor experience with engineering concepts when he returns to the office. 

Talking shop isn’t limited to just his own house. His brother, yet another Boeing employee, joined our Mechanical Engineering program at OIT around the same time. 

“Having him there to encourage me and kind of compete to get our degrees together was fun,” Andrew said. “He graduated last year, so he won this one.”

Andrew credits his wife and brother for their support throughout his career journey. (Andrew Salinas photo)

Shifting gears:

Following his graduation, Andrew is moving into a manufacturing engineering role on his current team. He hopes his path — from mechanic to engineer — will inspire others on the shop floor the way his colleagues and family inspired him.

“I believe skills, formal education and understanding the realistic shop‑floor constraints combine to produce engineers who can design practical, implementable solutions,” Andrew said.

Get your degree on us

Boeing’s industry-leading Learning Together Program provides tuition assistance for teammates around the world. Best of all, we’ll pay your institution directly, so you don’t have to pay out of pocket.

Eligible tuition and expenses for select STEM degrees and certificate courses are fully funded. And generous allowances are available for many other degree and non-degree programs, including up to $7,500 per year for associate degrees, $15,000 per year for bachelor degrees and $25,000 per year for graduate degrees.

Learn more