Juan Carlos Lopez
Freshman
University of Texas, El Paso
Featured: 02-15-2010 thru 02-21-2010
Juan Carlos Lopez is in his freshman year at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) majoring in mechanical engineering. During his senior year in high school Juan Carlos decided to take two advanced courses in the subjects of mathematics and physics. The first few weeks in those classes helped him realize the different opportunities and options available in the fields of science and engineering. The enthusiasm and hard work he dedicated to those classes was eventually noticed by his professors who served as his facilitators in his decision to become an engineer. The road to UTEP was not an easy one for Juan Carlos as he grew up in Mexico with Spanish being his primary language. Nevertheless, speaking Spanish for sixteen years never stopped him from taking high school advanced classes and graduating in the top ten percent of his senior class. At UTEP Juan Carlos continues to hone his skills in both languages by reading and by active participation in Circula Literario, a Spanish literary society for which he designed the program’s logo. He is an active member of UTEP’s student government, participating in event organization and execution. He actively participates in the Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists (MAES) and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). He continues to develop his leadership skills through his participation in Excel, a freshman leadership program for which he serves as co-chair of the Public Relations Committee. Juan Carlos also excels academically carrying a 4.0 grade point average. He is a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society and the UTEP Honors Program. In addition, Juan Carlos works part-time as a mentor/bilingual tutor for high school math, engineering and science students through a UTEP program designed to promote interest and competence for its engineering and science programs. His skills have resulted in approximately 90% of the students passing their exams with a grade of 70 or above. Upon graduation Juan Carlos would like to focus his engineering knowledge on the design area working as a member of NASA in the creation of new aeronautic ships, as well as new technological innovations for humanity. As a person born in a family of Mexican progeny he has faced the lack of services most countries in this world experience; as an engineer he will create innovations that would help those people as well. Juan Carlos is a 2009 HENAAC-SAIC scholarship recipient.
