Fall 2010/Winter 2011
At 23 years old, George Gonzalez is a project specialist in the chief technology office at Cisco Systems. He meets with company directors on how to address alternative energy in areas such as health and education.
But Gonzalez’s career success didn’t come easily. He only began thinking about college as a junior in high school. After joining MESA at San Jose State University, though, Gonzalez said he received the guidance and support needed to help him earn a mechanical engineering degree.
“As a freshman, first generation young Latino, (MESA’s resources) really helped me out. It opened me up to things in the business and professional world I wouldn’t have known,” he said.
Gonzalez’s family came to San Jose from Mexico. His parents have a middle school education. Now he hopes to inspire his younger sister to go to college.
“It feels great to be able to help my family and give back. Being from an immigrant family and being able to break through and inspire generations to come—I know that this is a turning point in our family. It’s a good feeling.”
Not only has he earned a degree, but Gonzalez has also landed internships and worked on projects with Hitachi Data Systems, IBM, and Nortel Networks and has presented at seminars in India and Austria as a student scholar.
Gonzalez has a minor in business and hopes to earn an MBA someday and start an alternative energy business. He said his engineering degree is invaluable.
“It’s such a powerful degree to have. It brings a logical way of approaching life no matter what your career. It was hard and I had doubts but the help I got from MESA helped me stick to it.”
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