College of Engineering News |
| Sergio L. Zaragoza III, Mechanical Engineering student and 2009-10 NASA MUST Scholar. |
Sergio L. Zaragoza III is getting the most out of his education at Cal Poly Pomona. He has served as President of The Society of Hispanic Scientists & Engineers (SHSE) chapter on campus, is a Boeing scholarship recipient, was design captain for the Society Of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Baja Car competition, and also recently worked as an intern for Pratt & Whitney (a jet Engine manufacturer in L.A.).
Sergio describes his experiences leading up to, and including becomming a NASA scholar:
"Throughout my short lifespan I’ve learned that life takes you many places if you open yourself up to the opportunities that await. Hopefully someday on this journey we call life I will be able to reach the stars.
By the end of 9th grade I was set on becoming a research physicist for NASA or CERN because of my love for space and astronomy; but my involvement in the F.I.R.S.T Robotics League throughout my four years in high school, where I actually worked side-by-side with engineers to design and manufacture robots made to play a specific game, opened a new door of opportunities and has led me down the path of engineering.
I am now in my 3rd year at Cal Poly Pomona pursuing my bachelor of science in mechanical engineering and minoring in both materials engineering and mathematics. My desire to become a mechanical engineer derives from my passion and thirst for knowledge in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and my eagerness for researching, designing, and building new technologies. Upon graduating from Cal Poly Pomona I intend to pursue my Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. My dream job is to work in research and development and design for a company that invests heavily in innovation, such as NASA. Later on in my career I plan to go into teaching mathematics, physics, and engineering courses and conducting research with students, giving back to the community that has given so much to me.
Some of my recent accolades include: 2009 – 2010 NASA MUST Scholar, 2009 – 2010 LSAMP Student Research Experience Grant, 2009 Measurement Science Conference Scholar, Fall 2009 Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society initiate, Recognition from the California State Legislature for my work with Project Lead the Way, Founding Father for Triangle Engineering, Science, & Architecture Fraternity at Cal Poly Pomona.
Outside of my academic and professional setting my interest range from science and technology to philosophy and theology to the arts and music. One of my passions in life is to travel, adventure, and discover. I have so far visited a majority of the US, most of Mexico, and many major cities in Western Europe (i.e. Rome, Florence, Venice, Lucerne, Amsterdam, Brussles, Paris, and London). My next big trip will be this summer in China where I will be visiting Beijing, Yichang, and Shanghai as part of the International Scholar Laureate Program, Deligation in Engineering."
March 2010
