This week’s campus cutie is Ernesto Martinez. Not only has Ernesto been involved with athletic pursuits in swimming and salsa dance, he is also very intelligent. Ernesto is an Electrical Engineering major who has been working with Edison since summer 2014. Although Ernesto like many of us battled with his career path and is doing something a little different than what he expected he has found his passion in water distribution. So keep an eye on this cutie because he is doing big things to tackle one of LA’s most serious issues, water usage and distribution.
Where were you born?
I was born in Monterrey, México.
When did you move to the U.S. and what has your experience been like thus far?
I came to the US in 2009 to finish high school. My experience has been very prosperous thanks to the hard work I have put myself through, including working retail, fast food industry, and countless hours of commuting to school. Living in America opened my eyes into the world we live in through the stories of so many people from other countries I have met here. It has definitely been a maturing experience.
What awards have you received?
In the 5 years I have been here I have received only a handful of awards and recognitions. The one I’m definitely most proud about is for Most Improved swimmer when I was on the swim team at my community college in San Diego. Many people see the award as a “you were really bad and now you’re just bad” consolation, but I was happy for that because I took my body to the limits and beyond every day for so many weeks until I actually improved… That kind of experiences make you realize that we are capable of doing anything, all we need to do is to start one day and get better from there.
What made you want to peruse engineering? What is it like working for a Edison?
I decided I wanted to go into an engineering field shortly after graduating high school. I always knew I would go for something mathy related, but I was really close to go for architecture because of my passion for modern construction. The only thing that kept me from doing that was the making of the models, so tedious! The irony is that I went for civil engineering and I find it very much tedious too! However, I have realized that my goal as an engineer no longer resides in the construction business, but in the water treatment and water resources industry. I hope eventually I can design a water treatment plant and reuse it for human consumption and irrigation.This past summer I had an internship with SoCal Edison, a big power company, planning electrical distribution (or helping at least). It was a great job, not only for the location (Santa Monica), but also because of the people working there. The working ambiance is very welcoming; it’s a very well established company.