Pima Community College · 2020—Present
Pre-engineering, shaped by real-world work.
I returned to college after building a career in technology because I knew I could do more. I now pursue engineering part time while operating two businesses.
Why I returned to school
Completing two trade programs gave me a practical foundation and a career centered on solving problems and making my way in the real world. During the pandemic, I decided it was time to apply that same discipline more fully to higher education and enrolled at Pima Community College.
I have completed 49 credits toward a 60-credit Associate of Science pathway in Pre-Engineering. My completed coursework includes Problem-Solving and Engineering Design, General Chemistry, Computer Programming for Engineering Applications I and II, and the full calculus sequence through Vector Calculus.
When I returned to school, my placement assessment put me in high-school-level algebra. Reaching Calculus III was therefore not simply the completion of a few advanced mathematics courses; it was a journey that began at the start of the algebra sequence and moved forward one class at a time. I made that progress while continuing to work and operate my businesses, making it one of the clearest examples in my life of what persistence and consistent effort can accomplish.
Completing Vector Calculus—Calculus III—has been my proudest academic accomplishment and a tangible measure of how far I have come since returning to the classroom. Programming courses in C and C++ have also helped connect formal engineering ideas with the infrastructure, web development, hosting, and custom application work I perform through Unepic Networks.
What comes next
I currently attend classes part time while operating Unepic Networks and Tucson Home Repair Pro. My remaining program work is concentrated in physics 1 & 2, an additional engineering elective, and transfer preparation. After completing my associate degree in May 2028, I plan to continue taking engineering and mathematics courses at Pima before transferring fully to the University of Arizona.
Engineering perspective
Understanding the system still matters.
Artificial intelligence can make code faster to produce, but speed does not replace judgment. As more software is generated without a complete understanding of how it works, trained engineers who can reason about architecture, correctness, reliability, and long-term maintainability become more valuable—not less.
My background in IT infrastructure, web hosting, custom applications, customer support, and hands-on technology work through Tucson Home Repair Pro gives me a practical point of view to bring into software engineering. I understand that technical decisions ultimately have to work for real people, real businesses, and real systems.