Marvin Gonzalez - Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) Award
CBEN
Post-graduation plans: Find a job in one of the country's finest designated biotech hotspots!
"This award recognizes undergraduate students who make substantive contributions to JEDI work on- or off-campus."
What is your favorite memory from your time at Ƶ Boulder?
It was the day before Chem-E-Car national competition and we were frantically upgrading our pressure piping mechanism because of unexpected issues. One team member had invited his friend to check out the club—the moment he walks into the lab, we throw some gloves in his hand and ask if he can help Dr. Rowe cut some pipes. That was funny.
What accomplishment are you most proud of, either academically or personally?
I have lost 30 pounds since last year.
Tell us about a moment (or moments) when you felt like you hit your stride or felt like you were “officially” an engineer.
There was a time in Kinetics office hours where I paired up with a student with whom I had never worked with before. Although we didn’t know each other, we were shockingly efficient, and we solved a difficult problem using a different approach than what the teaching assistants had recommended.
What was the biggest challenge for you during your engineering education? What did you learn from it?
There was a time where I was getting very little sleep. It got so bad I went to a sleep workshop at CAPS center at Ƶ Boulder. I learned to separate my bedroom from my work.
What is your biggest piece of advice for incoming engineering students?
There will be things you find challenging. Don’t immediately look for the easy way out—strength is built through struggle. There’s a sweet spot between giving up way before you’re supposed to, and knowing when you’re stuck. Find that place!