Student of the Week

Awards/Honors

Dean’s List, First Honors, fall 2005 and fall 2006
Dean’s List, Second Honors, spring 2006, 2007 and 2009
St. Paul’s Knights of Columbus Scholarship, 2005-2006
Lockheed Martin Scholarship, 2007-2008
General Motors Scholarship, 2007-2008
J.M. Haggar Honors Scholarship, 2007-2008
STARS Scholarship, 2006-2009
George and Keturah Lenig Memorial Scholarship, 2008-2010
Bentsen Engineering Scholarship, 2008-2010
NASA Texas Space Grant Colombia Crew Memorial Scholarship, 2008-2010
Engineering Scholarship Program, 2008-2009
Jesse and Mary Jones Scholarship, 2008-2009
Archibald and Margaret McColl Scholarship, 2009-2010.

Visit the archives to view previous student profiles.

Felix Emmanuel Martinez, 22, is a senior at The University of Texas-Pan American and plans to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in chemistry in December 2009. He graduated in the top 10 percent of his class from Mission High School in 2005. He is currently an active member of the Society of Automotive Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Society of Professional Hispanic Engineers, Engineering Honors Society, and Golden Key International Honour Society.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to work as a UTPA police officer while I work on getting my master’s degree and maybe even a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. I plan to do this for the meantime until the economy picks up again and then I will look for a job in engineering.

Do you plan to stay in the Valley?

I plan to stay in the Valley for about 14 to 16 years after I graduate to work as a police officer and then go work as an engineer.

What has your education done for you?

It has made me wiser, responsible, and more mature as a person. Now when I go to the workplace other co-workers and my supervisors will not be able to take advantage of me because I am educated. I owe all the knowledge I have gained to the entire mechanical engineering faculty who never gave up on me to learn everything I could.

How do you feel about your UTPA experience?

My four and half years here have been the most fun I could have ever had. I still remember all the stupid things and fooling around that my friends and I did while we were studying for our tests in all our engineering classes we had together. If I could redo my four and half years here at UTPA, I would do it in a heartbeat.

What is your best tip for success?

The best tip for success would be to have “No excuses, No Regrets.” In other words, try your hardest in each and every class and if you do not pass a class or test at least you know that you failed trying. I remember I took a class last summer where I studied late into the night and failed the first exam, but I picked up the slack on the final exam and aced it with a 116. I ended up getting an A in the class because of my hard work and determination. I really like Dr. Robert Freeman’s method of teaching because he recognizes students’ efforts in the class. Thanks Dr. Freeman, I owe you one because you are my “camarada.”

What advice do you have for college-bound students?

Never ever give up. I met several people in engineering who have said that they gave up because “engineering is too hard.” I think the reason people think classes are hard is because they give up in one form or another; they don’t have their priorities straight and are not dedicated to studying. That is how I got through all the tough courses in engineering. Sure, I could have been partying and having a good time but instead I chose to dedicate that time to studying and doing well in all my classes.