Steve Espinoza Diaz
Steve had the unique opportunity to participate in District of Columbia College Access Program (DC-CAP) when he was in high school. DC-CAP is a program that provides opportunities and support to high school students living in the Washington D.C. area. One of the opportunities they provided was a scholarship to UMass Lowell. Fortunately for Steve, he was qualified for the program and scholarship and ended up receiving it.
“When I was in the process of applying for colleges, there was this sort of feeling that I wasn't good enough. I wasn't very ambitious, and I didn't put too much effort into looking into different places to go. The fact that there was a program, and a whole system, out there that would allow me to put my academic talents to use and support me along the way definitely motivated me to work hard to succeed.” The program also brought students on college tours. Here, Steve jumped out of his comfort zone and took the leap of faith in moving so far from home for a fresh start. Steve describes himself as an introvert. Living on campus has helped him break out of his shell and seek opportunities that come with the college experience. “Prior to college, I was perhaps the most introverted person ever on this planet. I wouldn't talk to anyone at all. I literally went days without speaking to anyone. Living on campus forced me to live around people and develop those people skills that are as important as my academics.” |
Steve is majoring in Physics; however, he has attended the Hispanic Professional Engineers club and is open to the various possibilities within the STEM field.
“My major is physics. I chose it particularly because of my interests. I have an interest in mathematics and physics and those sorts of subjects. Primarily, that was the motivation behind it but at the same time, I was unsure because there are many other fields and the physics field is very broad. There are so many different paths I could go. I want to eventually specialize into something that I could devote my time to.”
Steve mentioned that the motivation to go to college is obviously to get a degree and job out of it, however, he sees it also as an opportunity for growth.
“For me personally, I saw it more as a good opportunity to grow myself and be able to develop in an environment where that is possible.”
“My major is physics. I chose it particularly because of my interests. I have an interest in mathematics and physics and those sorts of subjects. Primarily, that was the motivation behind it but at the same time, I was unsure because there are many other fields and the physics field is very broad. There are so many different paths I could go. I want to eventually specialize into something that I could devote my time to.”
Steve mentioned that the motivation to go to college is obviously to get a degree and job out of it, however, he sees it also as an opportunity for growth.
“For me personally, I saw it more as a good opportunity to grow myself and be able to develop in an environment where that is possible.”