Jazmin Merae Cruz

About Me:

I was born and raised in Lubbock, TX. My family and I are huge Texas Tech University fans. Growing up, I remember attending barbeques at my grandparent's house and cheering for the Red Raiders on game days. Although my family had unwavering loyalty to TTU, I was the first to attend the university. In 2015, I received my Mechanical Engineering degree. Now, I am nearing my second graduation and will be the first "doctor" of the family. It is my hope that I will not be the last.

During my undergraduate studies, I was hired at Ethicon San Angelo, a Johnson & Johnson company that is responsible for producing medical sutures. Working at Ethicon opened my eyes to the opportunities available to me as an engineer in the medical field, which motivated me to pursue graduate school with a research focus in human-centered design and healthcare engineering.

During my graduate studies, I began working at my university as a tutor for students with learning disabilities, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum disorders at the TECHniques Center (TC). My experience at the TC allowed me to foster a mentor-mentee relationship with my students beyond my tutoring job title in ways like guiding their resume writing, preparing them for interviews, and coaching their time management. This experience inspired me to set my sight on a career as a professor where I can continue mentoring students as an advisor and instructor while conducting meaningful research that can help my community.