Mentors: Melissa Wagner, Brian Argrow 

Bio: Alejandro Garcia recently graduated summa cum laude from Front Range Community College's Westminster Campus with an Associate of Engineering Science in Electrical Engineering in May 2026. Originally from Guatemala, he moved to Colorado in 2024 after his family was granted Permanent Residence. As a first-generation college student, he has embraced this new chapter with deep gratitude and a strong commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and community service.

From a young age, Alejandro has been fascinated by science and how technology can transform everyday life. That curiosity has shaped his academic journey, from competing in international STEM competitions to maintaining a 4.0 GPA at FRCC. A proud member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, his passion for science has earned him international recognition, including third place at the regional NASA International Space Apps Challenge 2023 in Guatemala, first place in a regional Ballistic Rocket Competition, and a bronze medal at the XIV Ibero-American Biology Olympiad representing Guatemala.

At FRCC, Alejandro served as Secretary of the Engineering Club and Captain of the NASA Colorado Space Grant Consortium Robotics Challenge team, where he led the design and programming of a bio-inspired hexapod autonomous rover. In 2023, he founded the Academic Community of Exact Sciences in Guatemala, a student-led network now serving over 500 college students through 14 specialized study groups in mathematics and physics, a project that reflects his belief that education is most powerful when driven by community and collaboration.

Alejandro will transfer to the Colorado School of Mines to pursue a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering, followed by a Master's in Embedded Systems and IoT Security. His long-term goal is to work at the intersection of cybersecurity and science, designing secure embedded systems and algorithms for the safe collection and analysis of environmental data. Through RECCS, he hopes to deepen his research experience and explore how engineering can address real-world challenges and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while continuing to mentor first-generation students who, like him, see education as a door to greater
possibilities.