Class: 2015 Major: Mechanical Engineering
1. What do you do on campus?I’m a POSSE scholar from LA and a part of a few different organizations. I’m a WE DO campaign student representative, a Multicultural Student Services Ambassador, a Student Manager at the Student Calling Program, president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, a member of the Bucknell Engineering Alumni Association, Engineering Success Alliance, and Rage Crew.
2. Being from the West Coast, can you describe your experience going to college on the East Coast?The biggest shift was most definitely the weather. I got to see snow fall for the first time, and waking up to a campus covered in snow was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life! And as simple as a change in season may seem, it was a change I had never experience before, much like going to Times Square, D.C., Philly, Boston, and other east coast sites that I never imagined myself being in.
3. What inspired you to study Mechanical Engineering?My high school Calculus teacher encouraged me to do engineering, and although I didn’t really know what it was, I decided to apply for engineering at Bucknell. Taking Engineering 100 is what ultimately convinced me mechanical was what I wanted. I like things that move and found that within mechanical engineering I can make roller coasters, cars, toys, and other fun things that I was most interested in. Also, Iron man was technically a mechanical engineer, so there’s that.
4. Tell us about your experiences as a Student Representative for Bucknell’s WE DO Campaign.It’s been one of my favorite memories with Bucknell. Being able to go to places I’ve never been to before, but also being able to tell other Bucknellians my story and all the cool things I’ve been able to accomplish has been great! Also, fist bumping president Bravman on stage in Philly was pretty dope.
5. You also recently went to Guatemala and worked on a sustainable eye care project. Can you describe what you did? How/why was this project meaningful to you?As part of the Project for Sustainable Eye Care, Paden Troxell (’15) and I worked as the mechanical engineering students to develop an apparatus that could cut out frames for glasses. I focused more on the diagnostic tool that was previously created for this project and learned how to diagnose people with the $20 product made of pvc pipes and some lenses. Once we got down to Guatemala, I worked on talking to the people in Spanish about our project, and then getting their diagnosis from the part that was previously made. Paden then used that information to cut out lenses for frames to glasses that we then gave to the people of Guatemala. We ended up diagnosing about 40 people and gave away close to 25 pairs of glasses! I’ll never forget the smiles people got once they put on the glasses!
6. What does the POSSE Program mean to you?As cliche as it may sound, The POSSE Foundation changed my life. Not only did it provide me with a full tuition leadership-based scholarship, but it also gave me lifelong friends, amazing internship opportunities, motivation, and a support system all over campus and the country. Along with that, had it not been for POSSE, I would not be here doing what I do at Bucknell!
7. In all your free time (ha!), what other extracurriculars are you involved in on campus?Senior design has been taking up all my free time this year. But I’m okay with it because we’re working with Universal Studios!! Our team was given the opportunity to design an attraction for them and Harry Potter World! Besides the different clubs, classes, and job though, I really just like talking with friends and seeing what trouble we can get ourselves in.
8. What are your plans beyond Bucknell?Fortunately, I recently accepted a position with Teach for America. I’ll be teaching secondary math in the motherland: LA!!!
The Best of the Rest…Favorite place on campus: The couches lounge in the BisonFavorite Food from Los Angeles: My momma’s cookingFavorite food from Lewisburg: You can’t go wrong with Siam cafeFavorite song: “Sunday Candy” -Donnie Trumpet & The Social ExperimentBest Bucknell memory: Reunion Weekend, hands down.One thing you learned living on the East Coast: Layer Up!