My name is Debraliz Isaac Aragones and I am a senior aerospace engineering major with a minor in mathematics. I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and moved to Clermont, Florida when I was about six years old. I graduated from Lake Minneola High School in Clermont, Florida. My favorite classes related to my major are heat transfer and high-speed aerodynamics. In these classes, I learn about the topics that are fundamental to understanding the science that makes flight possible. I have taken some classes that are not related to my major and my favorite one of those was personal fitness. I love learning about ways to stay healthy and exercise is a key component.

Having experienced being in a major with a skewed gender ratio, I recognize the barriers faced by minorities who engage in STEM careers. I believe that moving past these barriers begins with the younger generation. I sought out to join the STEM ambassador program because it is a great opportunity to help breach this gap in the future by teaching children about careers in STEM. I hope to be an inspiring figure to the children we work with and hopefully motivate them to pursue engineering.

A piece of advice to future STEM students is to follow your dreams passionately and you’ll realize that opportunities will begin to present themselves. Don’t let failures slow you down because even those are successes, given that you learn from them.

Away from school, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I like to play soccer, rock climb, go to the gym, or go running whenever I get a chance. When I’m looking to just relax with some me time, I like to watch entertaining movies or read books.