I pursued a degree in STEM primarily because of an early interest in engineering and an affinity for mathematics. I heard a talk about STEM opportunities in middle school and ever since then I have been in pursuit of a career in this area.
The STEM field is really competitive. In NYC, Black and Latino students often attend public schools that may not always prepare students properly for the rigorous undergraduate curriculum of an engineering program. I would advise these students to be very mindful of this and do a lot of self-preparation, and to use all the resources available to ensure they are able to succeed academically; it will be very difficult otherwise.
As a Latino student at the School of Engineering, I have been able to experience many great opportunities and learn about the wonderful pathways that reside in the engineering discipline. I also learned that all the students here are not on the same playing field because of the various backgrounds that we come from. Again, using the resources at Tandon is key to helping students be successful, regardless of their starting point.
As I approach the end of my undergraduate studies, I am actively exploring my professional options. My plan is to work in power research, specifically with power companies pushing to increase the use of renewable energy resources.