Daniel Nieto-Gonzalez

What made you decide to enroll at the University of Maryland?
I have lived my entire life in Maryland. A lot of teachers, friends and adults would recommend UMD. Several teachers who I had during high school went to the University of Maryland and would tell me about their experiences. I chose it partially because of what they told me but also because it was close enough to home that I could still keep in touch with friends and family.

What major/career path do you plan on pursuing and how did you select that path?
The major I selected is civil engineering. I have always been interested in architecture and different maths and sciences. To me civil engineering is a great combination of both. Architecture is more the design and civil engineering is more the science and logic behind making it possible. That was always interesting to me.

Activities I do outside of class or community service/volunteer activities I'm involved with:
I volunteered at an antique/thrift store for a charity called Prevention of Blindness of Metropolitan Washington. I was a volunteer there for about a year and was then hired as a part time worker. I currently still work there.

Aside from academics, what else do you hope to take away from your time at Maryland?
I hope to take away a bigger sense of independence. I will be living on campus and have a few friends as roommates. Living on campus means I'll get to be more independent. I'll have my own little space and can do as I please. I'm not going to do anything crazy but it's more freedom than I would have at home.

What are your future goals after graduation?
My future goal is to get a nice job as a civil engineer. I also want to be able to buy my own house and have my own space. I want to be at a point where money won't be a concern and reach a point I wont be worrying about a lot of things. I want to enjoy my life after I finish my education and work for a few years.