About Me

Shannon Peterson is a first-generation college student from the Navajo Nation. She grew up all around parts of the Navajo Nation in eastern New Mexico. When she was 14, her families trailer burned down, leaving her family homeless during her first year of high-school. Her Sophomore year of high-school, her mother decided to leave New Mexico for Colorado. In doing so, her family became the first in their family tree to ever leave the Navajo Nation. Shortly after leaving, her father passed away from alcoholism when she was a junior in high school. It was at his funeral, that Shannon first spoke in front of a crowd, and learned her gift of speaking.

Shannon received her B.S in Mechanical Engineering at UNM. During her time in college, she interned at; the Office of the State Engineer, Intel Corporation, and the Aerospace Corporation. After graduating, her first job was at Ball Aerospace as a Manufacturing Engineer. In the first 4 years at her company; Shannon created and launched the Indigenous Peoples Ball Network. Re-established the partnership between Ball Corporation and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. She now sits on AISES’ Corporate Advisory Council. This past 2022 year, at the AISES conference, she sat on a panel for establishing Employee Resource Groups with other Indigenous executives from across the industry. In her second year at Ball Aerospace, she became an Intern Coordinator and Mentor for Manufacturing And Test Operations summer interns and continues mentoring every summer. In her third year at Ball Aerospace, she worked herself to being a Program Lead Manufacturing Engineer. This enabled her to lead a team of 6 Manufacturing Engineers to manufacture and test satellite electronic boxes for a National Defense Program. Currently, she continues her roles and is working to get a double Masters Degree in Engineering in Engineering Management and Master of Business Administration from University of Colorado Boulder.

Outside of work, Shannon has started her own Company Sunwise Direction LLC. The goal of Sunwise Direction is to inspire Indigenous students by combining motivational speaking with the creation of culturally meaningful, Indigenous-themed school supplies. Through powerful messages and creative designs, we aim to encourage students to pursue their passions and walk proudly in their purpose.