At Texas Tech University-Costa Rica, we are glad to welcome a new class of Red Raiders who are ready to improve the world. Two particular students who joined us last month, Andrés Aguilar and José Campos, exhibit two (and more!) of the values our institution most firmly believes in: discipline and perseverance. These academically-excellent and well-rounded young adults are passionate about reaching their potential by working hard and making use of everything our university has to offer.
Both José and Andrés are very conscious of the effort it takes to be successful. For them, TTU-CR represents a U.S. high-quality education, close to home, that would let them achieve their short and long-term goals. These two first-year Computer Science majors were also the recipients of one of the institution’s scholarships, and they share a passion around fitness: José works out more than once per day, and Andrés used to play soccer in the premier league. In this way, they practice discipline and perseverance in the field, the classroom, and most importantly, in their everyday lives.
José, who is part of the first generation of his high school to graduate with a IB diploma, is largely influenced by his father, who told him: “Always, put your all in everything you do. Doing things half-way is never worth it.” By constantly seeking excellence, he keeps a focused mindset that has taught him the importance of visualizing education as a continuous process. It’s like fitness—“It’s not like one day you can stop. You always have to keep pushing yourself,” he stated. This has also taught him to always go the extra mile and prepare for everything—and by looking towards the future, he decided that TTU-CR’s internationally-accredited title, academic methodology, and location would allow him to pursue his long-term goal of working in cybersecurity.
In the scholarship application process, José was surprised by the hard work it took to show his achievements and qualities. Similarly, Andrés considered that the scholarship process taught him how to convince other people about his achievements. They both had to learn how to make the case for themselves, an ability that is sure to serve them in future endeavours. By exhibiting perseverance and working through the process, they were able to obtain a scholarship in their top-choice institution.
On a similar note, Andrés firmly believes that perseverance is especially important because you’re not going to be good at everything you do at the beginning. By pushing through hardships, with the help of discipline and respect, and with the right tools, people become successful in whatever they wish to pursue. One of Andrés’ dreams is to foster a bigger athletic culture in TTU-CR: “When I like an activity, I can do it for hours. I feel like this university has a lot of potential to grow sports-wise.” This demonstrates a desire to fulfill a need in the school community, while pursuing his dream of eventually studying abroad and becoming successful in the technology industry.
José and Andrés recognized how their own hard work and loyalty to their values were a good match for TTU-CR’s various advantages. For them, the opportunity to graduate with an internationally-accredited degree in Computer Science, with the option of pursuing their own personal goals close to home, was optimal. The university has the tools, and when students put in the work, there is no goal they can’t achieve.