Guanajuato, Gto., August 8, 2017.-  In one of her most celebrated essays, the British writer Virginia Woolf, proposes the theory that a woman needs money and an own room so she can write freely. The essay is called "An own room" and was written in 1929 and currently more than 80 years apart, the sentence is still valid.

A woman needs money and independence to write, yes, but also to study and dedicate to science, to perform professionally and academically. There are many women who risk braking paradigms and face a world where the challenges and perhaps obstacles impose more. They build their own space in the path.

An example is M. Laila Silahua Abirrached, she is the first woman to graduate from the Faculty of Mines, Metallurgy and Geology of the University of Guanajuato. In an interview, she mentioned, "for me it was a great challenge to study in the Faculty of Mines because everybody told me that women couldn't study Mine Engineering. However, it was what I wanted to do and it didn't stop me, I researched in which school I could study and that is how I found the University of Guanajuato, considered as one of the best educational institutions in the country."

The graduate moved from her hometown San Luis Potosí to the city of Guanajuato, place where she expected a journey full of challenges, learning and satisfactions. "When I got to UG, due to the social prejudice in that moment, they didn't allow me to study Mine Engineering and advised me to first study Geology and then work for a change in Engineering. Being immersed in the study of Geology, I fell in love with that science and didn't want to leave."

M. Silahua mentioned that it was thought that the work done in Mine Engineering was tough –since the technology that exists now, didn't then—, and it was thought that only could be made by men since it required more physical strength, "I suppose those were the taboos for a woman to not be in that degree", she said.

Being the first woman to graduate from the Faculty of Mines of the University of Guanajuato, M. Laila Silahua Abirrached, said to be proud, since she proved other women that they can achieve what they desire, "we all have the capabilities to develop what we want."

At the end of her college studies, the graduate quickly entered the job world, where she had to overcome other obstacles. "At first, I was working in the metallurgic cooperative as Assistant Geologist, I had the quality control of the mines, went down the mines to take samples. Also, in another job, I was in the planning area, designing the mine, controlling the supervision and supervising to maintain and respect the design of the mine, etc."

In the job world, the mine capitals –who were experienced miners, meaning, they didn't have college studies—didn't accept directions from a woman. What Laila did was to earn their trust through barter, "I told them, give me two shots, if I miss, I leave... and I did it and little by little I had their companionship and then they started listening to my instructions", she told us.

Also, she mentions that one of the things she enjoys about her profession is the constant coexistence with nature, "seeing the rocks, minerals and knowing what happened, which footprints from time are there, is what excites me more about my job."

Currently, the graduate of the University of Guanajuato is a specialized analyst in the Trust fund of Mining Encouragement of the Republic's Government.

To finalize, she sent a message to all college women encouraging them to pursue their dreams disregarding the limits imposed by gender, because women have all the capabilities to achieve what they desire. With her story and experience, M. Laila proves that every time, women create their own room.

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