Perseverance is ingrained in Jair Hernandez ’25. A first-generation Mexican American, his parents have modeled that anything is possible. It’s a value that is useful for anyone, but especially for a future engineer.
“That’s something I use on a daily basis,” Hernandez said. “Just because you don’t know something doesn’t mean you stop.”
Hernandez’s curiosity has served him well both as a student and a part-time employee at John Deere. He’s not afraid to ask questions and is grateful to graduate from an engineering program where access to professors was easy and class sizes were small.
“My professors were always available to meet,” Hernandez said. “You can ask them any sort of question. It doesn’t have to be about school. I talked to a lot of my professors about their careers and what things they did, or just life in general.”
Not only is Hernandez a first-generation American, he’s also a first-generation college student. With no other engineers in his family, he leaned on his professors and co-workers at John Deere to help him understand processes and provide career advice.
"There’s so many paths you can take as an engineer,” Hernandez said. “It can be overwhelming to some students. But they helped me understand it doesn’t have to be a linear path.”
Hernandez knew it was important to get workplace experience before graduating. Professors in the engineering department helped him find a student job opening at John Deere, where he eventually obtained a part-time position. He’s gained valuable experience and absorbed knowledge from engineers at various points in their careers.
“I get to talk to so many people, and they all have different perspectives,” Hernandez said. “Working with them on a daily basis, I grasp their knowledge and try to apply that every day at my job.”
The advice and mentorships Hernandez gained as he worked towards his degree in mechanical engineering have significantly shaped his career goals.
“I think at some point, I want to be a senior engineer,” Hernandez said. “I really do like understanding processes, but also being able to teach others about them as well. As a senior engineer, you're able to teach others but also learn from others.”
As Hernandez enters the workforce, he does so with the perseverance ingrained from his family and the foundation of his St. Ambrose education.
“Although it’s small, it’s a really good program,” Hernandez reflected. “The professors help you grasp and understand concepts and discover your path in engineering.”
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