Connecting F&ES to Mexican prospective students

November 29, 2018 · by Monica Nunez Salas · in ,

Written by Fabiola Hernandez Alvarez ’19 M.E.M.

This year, I spent quite a different Thanksgiving break. Instead of enjoying a delicious dinner with my dear F&ES friends in New Haven, I was in Guadalajara (my hometown) enjoying Mexican dishes and tequila with my family and closest friends. I traveled home and visited my alma mater, ITESO University (Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente), where I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering in 2011. Many memories came to mind as I was walking through ITESO’s student halls and its astonishing gardens.

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At ITESO I met with students in the environmental engineering program to share a little bit of my experience at F&ES with them and to give them information about the school’s graduate programs. Thanks to the coordination of the former Director of the Environmental Engineering program, Ms. Lydia Hernandez, the meeting took place at the conference room of the Technological & Industrial Processes department – a room I visited 12 years ago as a high school student interested in pursuing an environmental bachelor’s degree.

Mariana, Ana Sophya, Monica, and Ivan Gabriel –all current Environmental Engineering students– attended the meeting. Their areas of interest ranged from forest restoration, water management, private environmental consultancy, to global affairs. The students were very interested and raised questions about the FES community, the classes’ structure, and my experience as an international student in the US. They also asked me about funding – one of the main concerns for prospective Yale students. They seemed relieved as I talked about the multiple scholarships and financial aid available to F&ES students.

I really enjoyed talking to prospective students. Their questions reminded me how I felt when I was exploring the possibility of coming to Yale. At that time, F&ES seemed as a far-fetched goal, and today, here I am, enjoying one of the most challenging, yet exciting experiences of my life.

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