What is your personal story?
I’m a young Hispanic man who came from poverty in Santa Fe, NM. I applied myself since a younger age and even received an associate’s degree in high school. I went on to get my undergraduate degree in electronic engineering technology from Eastern New Mexico University at the age of 20. Los Alamos National Laboratory offered me an internship after high school. I have maintained it and now work as a full-time employee. I’ve been accepted to New Mexico State universities graduate program and will be pursuing that degree online while working at LANL. I’ve used education to break the cycle of addiction and poverty within my family. I hope that my actions speak to the younger generations of my community and in my family and shed light on the opportunities that education can bring.
What struggles have made you strong?
Not only was I a first-generation college student, but I was also the first to even graduate from high school. Navigating through the process of applying for schools and scholarships was the biggest challenge of the process. Learning this on my own lead me to find programs and organizations like GearUp and GlobalMindED which played a big role in my success.
How have the Ambassador Program and the GlobalMindED Leadership Program influenced your professional path?
I would say the biggest help from Ambassador Program and the GlobalMindED Leadership Program has been the networking possibilities and workshops Global minded has linked me with many like-minded people who have similar experiences. The workshops have helped me to become a well-rounded student and have covered topics that weren’t in my undergraduate curriculum.
What is special about you that an employer can’t live without? How will you set a new standard for the job, once hired?
The most special thing about me is that I am always eager to learn and improve. My current project at LANL is to develop a procedure to automatically calibrate digital multi-meters. A process that took over an hour before could take as little as 5 minutes now. I enjoy process automation and finding a more efficient way to do something. There is always room to improve and become more efficient. My drive would be the new standard for a job. Once I’m in a working position I want to spend my time wisely and do the best job that I can.