Childhood

I was born in Laredo, TX, a border city between the United States and Mexico. I spent most of my childhood living in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, which enabled me to grow up with Mexican customs and culture. My background has shaped many of my personal values, such as the importance of family, my religious beliefs, and character.

My parents wanted me to learn English, so they sent me to a private Catholic school in Laredo, Tx. During middle school, I transferred over to Harmony School of Excellence, where I met many of my closest friends (and future girlfriend 😎). I remained in Harmony until I graduated high school in 2020.

A picture taken by Octavio from the top row of Texas A&M University's Kyle Field.

College years

I attended Texas A&M University from August 2020 to May 2024, where I studied and received my Bachelors of Science in Computer Science and a minor in Cybersecurity. My time at TAMU proved to be a very challenging but rewarding journey. I got to meet some of the most kind, passionate, and intelligent people that I've ever crossed paths with, experienced the great "spirit of Aggieland" first-hand, and had the chance to learn a variety of subjects from a cohort of excellent professors.

I had the opportunity to take various courses covering many fields within the discipline. The courses that I enjoyed the most were definitely:

  • CSCE 411: The Design and Analysis of Algorithms
  • CSCE 441: Computer Graphics
  • CSCE 450: Computer Animation
  • CSCE 430: Problem Solving Programming Strategies

Currently

Although I did well academically, I had a lot of trouble landing an internship during my years in college. The fact that the software engineering bubble popped around the time I was completing my education certainly didn't help 😒.

However, I had the opportunity to take part in the National Nuclear Security Administration Minority Serving Institutions Internship Program (a.k.a. the NNSA MSIIP). This internship enables students from federally-designated minority serving institutions to enter positions within Department of Energy (DOE) sites across the country.

I had the opportunity to intern at the Pantex Plant's cybersecurity authorizations department, where I was able to learn about the NNSA's organizational structure, meet many incredibly dedicated people, do a lot of reading about federal and organizational cybersecurity policies, and work on a risk assessment project. Around the end of my internship, I was offered my current job: a full-time position as an information system security officer.

A picture of Octavio in front of the Washington Monument in D.C.
I continue to be grateful for the family, friends, and mentors that have helped me succeed throughout my life.