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Gustavo Diaz Galeas


My name is Gustavo, a fifth-year student studying the wonders of computer engineering, an elegant field that combines the concepts of computer science with the principles of electrical engineering. I am a graduate of Lyman High School, and a transfer student from Seminole State College of Florida. It was at Lyman where my introduction into the magnificence of STEM occurred, having enrolled in classes that focused on the principles of engineering. Enthralled, I then took this a step further at Seminole State, becoming involved in their STEM Club and eventually becoming an officer that provided workshops and events for students while fostering the community there.

Although I am an engineering major, my true passion lies in mathematics. Without it, many of the accomplishments that humanity has achieved may not have occurred at all! That is why my favorite course I have taken thus far is Computer Organization. It acts as an introduction into how and why computers are designed in such a way and reveals the harmonious synchronization of mathematics and electronics in computing systems.

As a way for me to continue what I began at Seminole State, I decided to become involved with the STEM Ambassadors program. The STEM community is filled with bright, gifted, and determined minds hailing from diverse backgrounds, and being a part of it means that we have a duty in encouraging others in pursuing their passions within it. It is because of this that I find myself where I am at, and it is only natural for me to pass on the torch of inspiration to the next generation of STEM leaders.

If there are any words of wisdom that I may impart on anyone, is that we are as much of our failures as we are our successes. Anyone in a field of STEM can tell you that they have failed more often than they’d like to admit, and it is through these failures that we learn the most, becoming more determined on achieving our goals. Grit is the defining characteristic in many STEM majors. So, if you fall, just pick yourself back up, mount your horse, and charge on!

Whenever I’m not studying, which is often rare, I like to partake in potlucks with friends and family, pursue personal programming and electronics projects, and play videogames, in particular massively-multiplayer online games such as Guild Wars 2. On occasion, I may also join others in traditional table-top games such as Dungeons & Dragons. It is through these activities that I find myself the happiest outside of my engineering courses.