Marcelo Rosas

What made you decide to attend the University of Maryland?
I enrolled at the University of Maryland because I believe that the programs here are what will help me take myself to the next level as a professional and as a person. The passion of the researchers and faculty within many programs here at UMD is what makes it one of the best research universities in the country. I think that being in an environment where people truly care about something will help mold me into a passionate leader. I'll be able to use this knowledge and these skills one day in my future career to help command my own ship of engineers.

What major/career path do you plan on pursuing and how did you select that path?
I plan to pursue a career in bioengineering, specifically biotech. I want to make innovative technology, such as prosthetics, that might give someone the chance to walk for the first time or catch a ball again. I think that technology is the key to a better future of healthcare for all. When I do reach this point in my career, I know I will make an impact on lives. This is why I am actively pursuing a career in bioengineering.

What clubs, community service, campus activities, or hobbies are you currently involved in or plan to take part in?
I plan to take part in intramural soccer and the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). I want to get back into soccer and believe that it will be a good challenge to try and balance academic life with sports. I think this will help teach me a lot of discipline. I want to join SHPE because being surrounded by others from a similar background to me is something that will make me more confident in my pursuit of a career. I can learn from others who are like me and gain connections that will last me a lifetime or get me places in the field that I never saw myself before.

How has receiving this scholarship positively impacted your life?
Receiving this scholarship has changed my life for the better because it gives me a chance; a chance to learn. Knowledge is powerful. With this scholarship, I can gain power through knowledge and mature as a person as I tackle on the many challenges that UMD will present me with. I will learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

What are your future goals after graduation?
After graduation, I intend to gain my master’s in bioengineering to really fortify my knowledge and skills. At this point, I will know whether or not I want to pursue my doctoral degree. Either way, I hope to be working somewhere within the biotech industry, most likely in the area of prosthetics. I also hope to be doing research as well to help advance the ability of technology to improve human health. Overall I just hope in the future that the networking I do during my years here at UMD helps me to find ways that I can always challenge myself to be better. I believe that we have no limits for greatness.

If you are a returning scholar, what is your favorite part of the Maryland Promise Program?
I am not a returning scholar, but I think the program will build upon my discipline skills and really mold me into a time-efficient person. Aside from my job, good time management will allow me to do things I enjoy on my own time.