about me

currently

I currently work at UNR as an Upward Bound Program Assistant, where I mentor first-generation high school students and help prepare them for college and their future careers. I am also a TRIO STEM Scholar, which thankfully gives me opportunities and experiences to help me grow both academically and professionally.

background

I come from a family of immigrants from Mexico who have shaped the person I am today. My mom's family is from Yucatán, while my dad immigrated to California by himself over thirty years ago from a small town called Los Caños in Villanueva, Zacatecas, in search of a better life. Because of that decision, I was fortunate enough to grow up in Las Vegas, where I was able to attend school and pursue the education that has led me toward engineering. Their hard work and perseverance continue to motivate me to make the most of every opportunity I am given and to build a future that honors their sacrifices.

why engineering

When I was younger, I always loved playing with LEGO and similar building blocks, although I didn’t realize at the time just how much those experiences would shape my engineering interest. By the time I got my first computer at around thirteen years old, my interest in programming started through Roblox Studio. I wanted to create my own games and creations, so I taught myself Lua, which became the first programming language I learned. Once I understood the fundamentals, learning languages like Java and JavaScript became much easier. Around that same time, I also began learning how to host a Minecraft Bedrock server, which would later on allow me to host my own for about fourteen players on my own computer. Managing the server, maintaining uptime, and helping moderate the community gave me some of my first experiences with leadership and responsibility.

Then for fun, I was able to virtually start engineering by creating mechanical systems inside a Roblox game called Plane Crazy. One of my favorite projects was designing one of the game’s earliest transmissions, which simply went forward or reverse. After creating it, I uploaded a demonstration to YouTube so other players could build one themselves. I enjoy creating things that other people can learn from, and I hope to one day do the same in real life through engineering research and innovation.

One of the biggest influences on my decision to pursue engineering in college was my high school physics teacher, Duane Hansen, who previously worked as a NASA engineer. After helping me start my robotics team, he showed me how exciting engineering could be beyond the classroom. His passion for physics and his willingness to mentor students inspired me to pursue aerospace engineering and showed me what it means to continue learning throughout your career.

interests

Outside of engineering, photography has become one of my biggest creative outlets. I enjoy being able to capture moments and edit them into something that reflects how I saw them. I have spent hundreds of hours learning Adobe Lightroom and have become very comfortable with color grading and editing, to the point where I can make almost any image match the style I have in mind. Photography allows me to express creativity in a way that engineering sometimes cannot, and I think the attention to detail it requires has made me a better engineer as well.

Cooking also gives me another opportunity to create something from scratch. Recently, I have been working on creating my own hot sauces inspired by local taco restaurants, while also experimenting with homemade juices, fermented ginger beer, and kombucha. I enjoy the process of trying something new, learning from it, and improving it each time.

Gardening is another hobby that I very much enjoy. Even though I started gardening in Las Vegas, where the climate is far from ideal, I enjoyed seeing plants grow up from small seeds. Over time, I have grown tomatoes, watermelon, squash, cucumbers, basil, mint, sage, mesquite trees, and even germinated pine trees from pinecones. Watching my plants grow over time has given me a lasting appreciation for nature.

Outside of all of these hobbies, I also enjoy traveling and hope to spend much more time exploring different places in the future. I enjoy learning about different cultures, trying new foods, and seeing how people around the world approach everyday life.