Aliyah Jones Balances Engineering and Dance with Precision and Grace

If Aliyah Jones kept her schedule in a Google Calendar, you wouldn’t find any room for breaks. A senior majoring in industrial and systems engineering, Jones’ days are carefully choreographed between her studies, her lifelong love of dance and mentoring others.

Jones grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, a city known for its dazzling entertainment and larger-than-life performances. But it wasn’t the glitz and glamor that piqued her interest in dance.

"I started dancing when I was four," Jones recalls. "I was one of those kids who would run around, always going somewhere, so my mom put me in ballet to help get my energy out."

What began as a way to channel her exuberance soon blossomed into a passion that would forever change Jones’ life.

Opposite of her love for dance, Jones also discovered an affinity for mathematics and problem-solving at a young age. Hanging around her father, an air conditioning technician, she began to build an appreciation for processes. This eventually led her to join a robotics team in third grade, where she competed for a national competition at Legoland in Carlsbad.

This dual pursuit of STEM and the arts might seem incongruous to some, but for Jones, it was natural. When it came time to start researching universities, Jones knew she needed to find a place that would support both of her interests.

Her journey to the University of San Diego (USD) was serendipitous. Her family used to regularly vacation in San Diego, planting the initial seeds for her to tour universities in the area. Jones fell in love with the beauty of USD and felt like it was the place for her.

"I immediately applied when I saw the applications were open," she recounts. "I was at dance practice and looked at my phone and it said, ‘University of San Diego’. I was like, ‘Oh, let me go in the bathroom and open it’ and I found out I got in." That moment in the dance studio bathroom proved to be a turning point, setting Jones on a path that allowed her to pursue both of her passions and cultivate her skills.

At USD, Jones embraces the rigors of being an industrial and systems engineering student while also continuing to pursue her career as a professional dancer. She joined an agency called Movement Talent Agency during her first semester on campus, adding a layer of complexity to being a first-year student.

"At first, it was hard balancing everything because agents want you to focus on dance while also balancing your schoolwork," Jones admits. "But I’m one of those people where I believe I can do both. I can balance it."

Jones’ determination helped fuel her through a packed schedule – classes, study sessions, research, dance rehearsals, auditions. "I believe you can make any dreams happen. If you want to do both, it’s possible to do both, and I’m on the journey of doing both right now." Jones’ ability to juggle her commitments was tested last spring when she earned a role in a music video for comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish. The opportunity landed on the day of two of her hardest engineering final exams. Other students might have declined the opportunity, but not Jones.

After completing her final exams in Operations Research II and Manufacturing Processes, she packed up her dorm, with a little help from her mother, and headed to Los Angeles for a 5 a.m. call time. "I have to admit I was a little scatter brained from the night before," she laughs as she recalls the chaos. "But it was easy to get focused because it’s always fun being on set with the cameras, lights and wardrobes, and with the other dancers and artists, living an L.A. dream."

Through her engineering pursuits, Jones has earned two internships with aerospace company, the Boeing Company. This summer, she has worked on projects related to the 777X, the world’s largest twin-engine commercial jetliner in production.

"The factory I work at fabricates the 100 foot wings of the 777X and is 24 football fields long," Jones says. "It’s so cool to watch the robots, automated machines and people produce a whole plane. There is always so much going on with cranes moving parts of planes across the factory."

At Boeing, Jones is an Industry Engineering intern working in the Composite Wing Center, supporting a group that does Non-Destructive Inspection. The Non-Destructive Inspection team detects defects on the left and right wings of the 777X. Jones conducts time studies, rate analysis plans and documentation for this team. It’s detailed work that requires precision.

Beyond her two main passions, Jones is also deeply committed to mentorship and community engagement. She will serve as the Vice President of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) chapter at USD and the Youth Engagement Chair of USD’s Mortar Board Honor Society this upcoming academic year. She has also worked with 6th through 8th graders in USD’s Black InGenius Initiative (BiGI), a program aimed at introducing STEM concepts to black youth.

"I’m big on inspiring people," Jones explains. "I want to make sure that people know that if you have a dream of being an engineer, a doctor, whatever it is, you can start young and make it happen."

The desire to inspire others is rooted in Jones’ upbringing. Her mother, a social worker, instilled in her the importance of helping others and being a positive force in the community. "I’m family oriented. Even though I didn’t go directly into social work or teaching like my mother and grandmothers, they inspired me to help kids and support their dreams."

An outsider might wonder how Jones seamlessly balances all of her commitments. "I take it one day at a time," Jones says. "I’m Christian and my family raised me to know that God will take care of everything. I have faith that everything will work out, especially if I’m working hard and going after my dreams."

Jones is now focusing on her next steps as she approaches graduation in December 2025. She dreams of moving to Los Angeles to pursue more professional dance opportunities while also working as a consultant, leveraging her engineering skills.

Jones offers one final piece of advice to other students who may be nervous about going after an internship or an opportunity they don’t feel qualified for: "All you need is one opportunity and to have faith in yourself wholeheartedly."

— Kelsey Grey ’15 (BA)