Sammy Orozco

• What does being a First-Generation College Graduate mean to you?

Being a First-Generation College Graduate to me means "look mi familia, we made it."

• What is your proudest moment from your time at UCSD?

My proudest moment was finishing my junior year with the major I wanted because I knew I was 75% done, which is pretty much passing!

• Who are the family members, friends or loved ones who have been most influential throughout your college journey? Are there any words of gratitude you would like to share with them?

My Mom and Dad. Thank you for everything! Marisol. Thank you for all the memes and Facetiming me when I'm bored. Selen . Thank you for making San Diego so fun and always having my back out there. Jackie and Xochitl. Thank you for bringing some true light and endless laughs back into my life. Aaron Kee. Thank you for always listening and motivating me to do my best throughout my upper div life. Gracie. Thank you for keeping my quarantine quarter so crazy.

• Who are the staff, faculty or mentors who have been most influential throughout your college journey? Are there any words of gratitude you would like to share with them?

Professor Joel Conte and his TA Maitreya Manoj Kurumbhati. I would like to thank them for giving me hope in the engineering field. They inspired me to not give-up in that field despite not being an "engineer," they made "difficult engineering" fun again. Also, my business professor, Guido Baltes, although he might not know it, but his lectures geared me to the major and future I want, as well as realizing I don't have to be this "ideal engineer" that I imagined myself to be. I want to thank him for his wonderful insight of the real world, especially behind innovation, for it has inspired me to pursue my passions with the strengths that I carry.

• What do you plan or hope to do after graduating?

I hope to use my mathematical skills in creating a more sustainable earth.

Campus Affiliations

Campus Involvement

• Treasurer of Ballet Folklorico La Joya de Mexico