Shortly after I was born, my parents decided to uproot their entire lives in the United States, bringing myself and my two older brothers to Central America. The five of us lived in Mexico for a year while my parents studied Spanish at language school. Then, we moved to Balfate, Honduras, a small rural town where my parents volunteered as physicians. We lived there for three years, and all the while my parents had to juggle raising three boys and working in a critically under-staffed and dangerous environment. These decisions, sacrifices, and radical changes in my parents’ lives were made simply so they could serve others who had nobody else to turn to.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve begun to have this same desire to serve others. I’ve sought out ways throughout high school to combine my passion for STEM, especially mathematics, and my eagerness to help those around me, resulting in many unique experiences. I’ve helped create a non-profit organization that strives to help students in elementary and middle school achieve excellence in math, English, and logic. I’ve also participated in the organization of STEM outreach events through school-affiliated programs such as National Honor Society. I’ve aided research in medical labs such as UT Southwestern, where my contributions may hopefully go on to impact the day-to-day lives of people around the world. All of these experiences made me appreciate STEM that much more, as I could see firsthand how it could impact other people’s lives.

Now, as I close that chapter of my life and begin a new one, I am faced with the question: how can I serve others throughout my time at UT and beyond? I intend to participate in research here on the Forty Acres, and I hope to use my position as a Forty Acres Scholar to organize more outreach programs to foster interest and growth in STEM in young people. Most of all, however, I intend to explore all of the academic opportunities available to me at UT to find ways I can serve others in a career in STEM after college. Whether this be in education, research, or industry, I’m confident that wherever I end up, I’ll be using the knowledge gained during my time here to help those around me.

Major
Mathematics; Physics

Other Academic Interests
Planning to add a Computer Science Certificate

Extracurricular Activities
Freshman Research Initiative

What drew you to the Forty Acres Scholars Program?
College is a scary place for a freshman. With UT being as large as it is, it can be easy to feel lost in the sea of people surrounding you. The Forty Acres Scholars Program allows me to connect with other people who are like-minded, but come from all different circumstances. It gives me a home at UT, a family that I can rely on for the next four years of my life. That, in my opinion, is the most valuable part of the program, and I can't wait to become closer to my fellow scholars over the next few years.