Growing an Engineer: Meet Emerging Engineer Julian Vega

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

Julian Vega started as a 17-year-old intern who rose to planning supervisor at Summit Interconnect in just seven years, and credits the Global Electronics Association’s Emerging Engineer program for fueling his passion and accelerating his career journey. In this interview, Julian shares how the program expanded his technical perspective, connected him with industry leaders, and helped shape his vision for the future.

Marcy LaRont: Julian, thank you being open to sharing your experience with us. Tell me about your journey with Summit Interconnect?

Julian Vega: Thank you for the opportunity. I’m currently a planning supervisor at the Orange (California) facility. I started seven years ago as an intern at the nearby Anaheim facility, assisting process engineers gauge how long certain types of boards would take to get through the factory.

After two years in Anaheim, I moved to Orange to work in the sales department, helping create stackups for quoting fabrication. I developed into a job planner in the front end engineering (FEE) department and now I am a planning supervisor in that department.

LaRont: Summit has a real commitment to the Emerging Engineer program. When did you go through the program and what did you know about it when you started?

Vega: I started my program in 2023 and finished in 2025.My baseline knowledge came from my boss, Michael Lowry. He had gone through the program two years before.

LaRont: How would you describe the program?

Vega: To be chosen, you needed one to two years of experience and to be actively involved in the industry. I had been working in front end engineering as a planner for a few years when I applied. Michael had been in the same situation when he went through the program, and now I have graduated from the Emerging Engineer program like him. It was a long three years, but I learned more than I ever thought possible. It was a really amazing experience.

To continue reading this interview, which originally appeared in the February 2026 editions of both SMT007 Magazine and I-Connect007 Magazine, click here.