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#ILookLikeAnEngineer

Why did you choose engineering at CU Boulder?

Colorado has been my home my whole life and I can’t imagine a more supportive environment to learn a difficult subject in. Learning to think for yourself when you have been taught how to think your whole life is a challenge and CU has programs in place to help develop these skills.

What does #ILookLikeAnEngineer hashtag mean to you?

It’s empowering to see other engineers project their voice and be proud of where they come from. We need to celebrate people's heritage. Bringing that to light is one of the first steps. It breaks the stigma of what people think it means to be an engineer and it’s comforting because it lets you pay less attention to fitting in and more attention to standing out.

What are three things that make you unique?

1. I’m a varsity rower, representing Colorado across the United States. That being said, I love waking up at 4 a.m. and I also love going to bed at 4 a.m.
2. I’m not sure what my future looks like but I know it will involve a good-looking bookcase and a dog.
3. Nothing makes me happier than writing in an A5 dotted notebook with a 0.38 Pilot pen.

What are your career goals?

I’d like to look up at the night sky and be able to say that we know more about some object because of the work that I’ve done.

Do you have a favorite quote or mantra?

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.” – Ernest Hemingway

What are your hobbies?

I’m a big fan of D&D, I enjoy sketching in my commonplace notebook, listening to science-fiction audiobooks and podcasts, and working on anything with my hands.

What do you enjoy most about engineering?

Some of the most interesting people I know I met through my courses in engineering; teachers that really care about the development of their students and truly wish for them to succeed; the push from faculty to develop our own way of thinking by applying everything we have learned to solve issues that don’t have clear solutions.

What is your favorite engineering experience?

Finishing my toughest class yet, Embedded Systems, and going to Professor Fosdick’s last lecture. He has a quote he likes, said by tennis player Vitas Gerulaitis after winning a match preceded by 16 losses in a row. He said “And let that be a lesson to you all. Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row.”.

Anything else you'd like to tell us?

Ergs don't float.

Stefan Suarez, ElecCompEngr'20, Fairview High School