Run! It was the first thought that came to my father’s mind as his friend’s apartment started to sway violently. He looked around to see plates falling off shelves and lights flickering on and off. Then he heard the groaning sounds in the apartment, the screams, and the sirens. Luckily, my father instinctively knew that hiding under a door frame was the safest option and hid there until the ground stopped shaking. It was 1985, in Mexico City, when an earthquake hit with an 8.0 magnitude that caused death and destruction throughout the city. After hearing my father’s survival story an endless amount of times and constantly seeing the fear in his eyes as he described the city he grew up in being ruined in minutes, I spent years hoping this was a disaster my family, my friends, and I would never have to face. When I learned of the role a civil engineer plays in making people’s lives better, the thought of becoming one intrigued me. Civil engineering, by definition, is engineering a better future for any community. Not only are civil engineers responsible for designing buildings, roads, dams, and bridges, but they play a vital role in developing a safer and more advanced society. As the climate in our world is dramatically changing and natural disasters have become more frequent, our community has become more vulnerable. I envision myself among other civil engineers with a hard hat and blueprints, joining forces to make a difference and building a stronger world to protect the environment, the people, and future generations. One of the steps I took was being an intern for the past five summers at Zachry Construction Corporation. It was extremely beneficial because it introduced me to the world of engineering. One of the projects I particularly enjoyed involved collaborating with a team on designing a highway section in San Antonio. We used real-world software like AutoCAD and Bluebeam to create models and simulations, testing different levee designs. Seeing how these virtual plans could translate into real-world solutions that protect communities from natural disasters solidified my interest in pursuing civil engineering. Additionally, I was born in Chile, and traveling there every summer, I witnessed firsthand the challenges and triumphs of civil engineering. One year, I saw a massive new suspension bridge being constructed, connecting a previously isolated village to the mainland. The sense of progress and the impact it would have on the community was truly inspiring. After my university years, I would like to work for a firm that aligns with my core beliefs. I will be on the search for those who share their passion and duty to work and serve their community. I look forward to engaging and participating with fellow like-minded individuals who yearn to give back to their communities by designing and building the basics of our daily lives. In the future, I will diligently work to learn and acquire new concepts and techniques by attending professional development often so that later I can open my environment-friendly engineering firm.

Run! It was the first thought that came to my father’s mind as his friend’s apartment started to sway violently. He looked around to see plates falling off shelves and lights flickering on and off. Then he heard the groaning sounds in the apartment, the screams, and the sirens. Luckily, my father instinctively knew that hiding under a door frame was the safest option and hid there until the ground stopped shaking. It was 1985, in Mexico City, when an earthquake hit with an 8.0 magnitude that caused death and destruction throughout the city. After hearing my father’s survival story an endless amount of times and constantly seeing the fear in his eyes as he described the city he grew up in being ruined in minutes, I spent years hoping this was a disaster my family, my friends, and I would never have to face. When I learned of the role a civil engineer plays in making people’s lives better, the thought of becoming one intrigued me. Civil engineering, by definition, is engineering a better future for any community. Not only are civil engineers responsible for designing buildings, roads, dams, and bridges, but they play a vital role in developing a safer and more advanced society. As the climate in our world is dramatically changing and natural disasters have become more frequent, our community has become more vulnerable. I envision myself among other civil engineers with a hard hat and blueprints, joining forces to make a difference and building a stronger world to protect the environment, the people, and future generations. One of the steps I took was being an intern for the past five summers at Zachry Construction Corporation. It was extremely beneficial because it introduced me to the world of engineering. One of the projects I particularly enjoyed involved collaborating with a team on designing a highway section in San Antonio. We used real-world software like AutoCAD and Bluebeam to create models and simulations, testing different levee designs. Seeing how these virtual plans could translate into real-world solutions that protect communities from natural disasters solidified my interest in pursuing civil engineering. Additionally, I was born in Chile, and traveling there every summer, I witnessed firsthand the challenges and triumphs of civil engineering. One year, I saw a massive new suspension bridge being constructed, connecting a previously isolated village to the mainland. The sense of progress and the impact it would have on the community was truly inspiring. After graduation, I plan to seek a position at a civil engineering firm that prioritizes sustainable practices and community engagement, aligning with my core values. I'm eager to work alongside passionate individuals who share a commitment to building resilient infrastructure that serves the needs of the community while minimizing environmental impact. Collaborating with like-minded engineers who design with a focus on energy efficiency and renewable resources would be incredibly rewarding. Throughout my career, I plan to continuously pursue professional development opportunities, attending conferences and workshops to stay at the forefront of sustainable design practices. My ultimate goal is to one day establish my firm dedicated to creating a future where infrastructure and the environment coexist in harmony.

Run! It was the first thought that came to my father’s mind as his friend’s apartment started to sway violently. He looked around to see plates falling off shelves and lights flickering on and off. Then he heard the groaning sounds in the apartment, the screams, and the sirens. Luckily, my father instinctively knew that hiding under a door frame was the safest option and hid there until the ground stopped shaking. It was 1985, in Mexico City, when an earthquake hit with an 8.0 magnitude that caused death and destruction throughout the city. After hearing my father’s survival story an endless amount of times and constantly seeing the fear in his eyes as he described the city he grew up in being ruined in minutes, I spent years hoping this was a disaster my family, my friends, and I would never have to face. When I learned of the role a civil engineer plays in making people’s lives better, the thought of becoming one intrigued me. Civil engineering, by definition, is engineering a better future for any community. Not only are civil engineers responsible for designing buildings, roads, dams, and bridges, but they play a vital role in developing a safer and more advanced society. As the climate in our world is dramatically changing and natural disasters have become more frequent, our community has become more vulnerable. I envision myself among other civil engineers with a hard hat and blueprints, joining forces to make a difference and building a stronger world to protect the environment, the people, and future generations. One of the steps I took was being an intern for the past five summers at Zachry Construction Corporation. It was extremely beneficial because it introduced me to the world of engineering. One of the projects I particularly enjoyed involved collaborating with a team on designing a highway section in San Antonio. We used real-world software like AutoCAD and Bluebeam to create models and simulations, testing different levee designs. Seeing how these virtual plans could translate into real-world solutions that protect communities from natural disasters solidified my interest in pursuing civil engineering. Additionally, I was born in Chile, and traveling there every summer, I witnessed firsthand the challenges and triumphs of civil engineering. One year, I saw a massive new suspension bridge being constructed, connecting a previously isolated village to the mainland. The sense of progress and the impact it would have on the community was truly inspiring. After graduation, I plan to seek a position at a civil engineering firm that prioritizes sustainable practices and community engagement, aligning with my core values. I'm eager to work alongside passionate individuals who share a commitment to building resilient infrastructure that serves the needs of the community while minimizing environmental impact. Collaborating with like-minded engineers who design with a focus on energy efficiency and renewable resources would be incredibly rewarding. Throughout my career, I plan to continuously pursue professional development opportunities, attending conferences and workshops to stay at the forefront of sustainable design practices. My ultimate goal is to one day establish my firm dedicated to creating a future where infrastructure and the environment coexist in harmony.

Run! It was the first thought that came to my father’s mind as his friend’s apartment started to sway violently. He looked around to see windows shattering, plates falling off shelves, and lights flickering on and off. Then he heard the cracking and groaning sounds in the apartment, the screams, and the sirens. Luckily, my father instinctively knew that hiding under a door frame was the safest option and hid there until the ground stopped shaking. It was 1985, in Mexico City, where an earthquake suddenly hit with a 8.0 magnitude that caused death and catastrophic destruction throughout the city. After hearing my father’s survival story an endless amount of times and constantly seeing the fear in his eyes as he described the city he grew up in being ruined in minutes, I spent years hoping this was a disaster my family, my friends, and I would never have to face. When I learned of the role a civil engineer plays in making people’s lives better, the thought of becoming one intrigued me. Not only are civil engineers responsible for designing buildings, roads, dams, and bridges, but they play a vital role in developing a safer and more advanced society. That is when I decided to participate in an internship to collaborate on several projects through the Zachry Career Exploration Program, an internship at a construction company. I first gained valuable insight into the construction industry, explored learning new softwares and programs, were even assigned real projects that the company was working on. The possibilities seemed endless as I was overcome with the profound realization that I was deeply fascinated with civil engineering. As the climate in our world is dramatically changing and natural disasters have become more frequent, our community has become more vulnerable. That is the very reason why we need civil engineers. Civil engineers use their mathematical knowledge and creativity to design new infrastructure and overcome the local and environmental challenges posed to them, such as natural disasters and a perpetually modernizing world. Knowing how crucial this branch of engineering is for the world and how civil engineers can impact people’s lives in such a positive light, I use my passion for problem-solving to grow and develop my skills and knowledge in this particular field. I envision myself among other civil engineers with a hard hat and blueprints, joining forces to make a difference and building a stronger world to protect the environment, the people, and future generations.

“Are there any points or motions on the floor?” “Delegate, what point do you rise?” “Decorum, delegate!” Being a chair member for a committee with more than fifty students in Model United Nations can be a stressful situation. Not only must you be a leader making fast decisions, but you must also be great at communicating and maintaining a collaborative team to ensure the committee runs smoothly. Prior to being a chair member for Model U.N., I wasn’t used to working with others as a team, nor was I confident with speaking with others; however, with the help of this organization, I acquired important skills that help me be a great leader: resourceful, decisive, empathy, appreciative, good listener, and skilled at assessing peer’s values. When working with a team in a classroom, we all share a common goal- completing the tasks successfully. In order to do that, I will utilize these leadership qualities to help guide my team achieving our goals. Empathy to understand the strengths and weaknesses of my team members; listening skills to truly understand their ideas and to value their input; resourcefulness to ensure the tools and resources are available; decisiveness to guide my team through troubleshooting and effective decision-making; appreciation to recognize their efforts and contributions. These same leadership skills can play a role in making connections and forming relationships with other students within the college community. Leadership is one of the most important skills to possess because you’re not only being resourceful and decisive, but you must also be empathic, have good listening skills, and assess peers’ value in order to strategically potentiate them. When meeting new people, I will do my part to communicate with them, to help them feel welcomed, and to make them feel at home. The experience of Model U.N. has gifted me leadership skills, which I will carry with me to make a positive impact on those who cross my path during my educational journey, both in and out of the classroom.