From a young age, Sanya was endlessly curious about how things worked and was determined to become an engineer - even before she fully understood what that meant. She went on to earn a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, followed by a Master’s in Engineering Asset Management.
Sanya’s career took an unexpected turn when she took a job in technical support for a company that made industrial lubricants - the special oils and greases that keep machines running smoothly. At the time, she was the only woman, and the youngest person, working in this field across the entire Caribbean. Rather than feeling out of place, Sanya fell in love with this area of engineering, known as “reliability,” which is all about keeping machines and equipment working well for as long as possible.
“You bring more value by being yourself than by trying to fit in.”
While working on her master’s degree, Sanya realised she wasn’t doing her best work while also holding down a job, so she made the bold decision to leave her role and focus fully on her research. During this time, she had an idea: what if there was one place people could go for trusted advice on this topic? That idea became her own company, Strategic Reliability Solutions, which she founded in 2017.
Since then, Sanya has become the first person in the Caribbean - and remains the only woman in the region - to earn one of the highest professional certifications in machinery lubrication. She has written several technical books, sits on international boards, and is the series editor for a collection of books called “Empowering Women in STEM.”