Cathy Paramore, a Fellow in Systems Integration & Test Engineering, has built her career on advancing innovation and empowering others. She joined our team over 32 years ago, but her interest in engineering was sparked even earlier. “My parents were engineers,” she explains. “Watching my stepfather design missiles, and then field test with tanks and helicopters, was very exciting and motivated my aerospace engineering degree. My mom…had a rewarding career in electrical engineering…knowing you can balance both family and career was comforting as I became a working mom myself.”
Throughout her career, Cathy has been guided by role models who taught her the importance of perseverance, passion and teamwork. She has brought this wisdom to her current role, where she combines her technical expertise with a commitment to empowering others. “Most [of my] days are filled with mentoring, connecting co-workers with others who can help solve their problems, or communicating opportunities to my leadership to head off future issues,” she says. “By helping my team with efficiencies and making them stronger, I am helping L3Harris work more efficiently to deliver products that keep us safe.”
Cathy is especially passionate about empowering the next generation of women engineers, as she believes they are uniquely suited to careers in STEM. "Women have a knack for resilience, toughness, and a refusal to give up when faced with difficulties. Those of us in STEM navigate through uniquely challenging waters, which can often make our journey more adventurous compared to our counterparts." She considers herself “lucky” to work with eleven young women engineers who impact her team’s success every day.
By championing others and driving collaboration on her team, Cathy exemplifies our mission to protect, connect and inform. She advises women considering careers in engineering to not fear new roles or challenges, “because that is where you will grow,” and to “surround yourself with team players.” Her journey serves as an inspiration for those aspiring to thrive in engineering and beyond.
