Student Spotlight:
Alexander Villanueva
First-year mechanical engineering student Alexander Villanueva is a recipient of Voiland College’s Distinguished Dean’s Scholarship, which provides full tuition and is renewable for up to four years, thanks to generous donor support.
Alexander shares his thoughts about his decision to attend WSU and what he is looking forward to in his first year of school.
- Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Expected Date of Graduation: May 2030
- High School: Shorecrest High School
- Scholarships:
- Distinguished Dean’s Scholarship
- Top Scholars RES Tuition Waiver
- Regents Waiver
Why did you choose to attend Washington State University?
Everything I liked about the college and campus was purely from my own experience. What impressed me the most about WSU was how many opportunities to pursue my passion there were, including space, engineering, and rocketry clubs and programs.
How have scholarships or financial aid impacted your experience as a student?
When I was selected to receive my scholarships, it proved to me that I can accomplish something hard, something difficult and not something everyone can do. It allowed me to believe I might just have something that makes it possible to grow into somebody that can do amazing things. It’s a mixed bag in the stress department because on one side, there is the obvious relief financially, but on the other side there is the idea that somebody believes in me, and I don’t want to let them down.
What clubs are you involved in on campus?
So far, I’ve managed to become a part of Palouse Aerospace and Cougs in Space clubs. I can honestly say that being a part of these clubs has been an amazing experience so far. The opportunity to work with a team of like-minded people who are just as excited to work on what we enjoy has been an inspiring experience. I’ve made plenty of friends and gotten to experience a true workflow in action. I’ve learned tons of new skills and methods already and I just started. I can’t wait to do more!
What do you want to do with your degree after you graduate?
I want to be somebody who is working to better all of humanity with new science and technology. I want to be challenged in new and exciting ways; I want to be faced with problems and come up with creative solutions. I want to, in any way that one person can, help the world be better than I found it. Engineering is hard, but if it wasn’t hard, it wouldn’t be worth doing.