Posted on February 19, 2024 by Storm Goodman
Student Spotlight: Jered Bass
Jered Bass, a chemical engineering major with a focus on bioengineering, has spent much of his time enrolled at Klesse College as a mainstay on the honor roll and the dean’s list. Jered, who arrived at UTSA unsure of what he wanted to pursue, was able to quickly adapt to his new environment and embark on a journey of academic success by calling upon the skills and talents he had learned throughout his time in the Marine Corps and the Escuela Superior de Hostelería de Sevilla, a culinary school in Spain.
After graduating high school in Louisiana, Jered enlisted in the Marine Corps and was stationed at Camp Lejeune, as a machine gunner in an infantry battalion.
Jered’s time in the Corps played a big part in his journey and he attributes a part of his current success to the valuable skills and lessons he learned while working closely with his Marine brothers.
"I developed interpersonal skills and an ability to recognize the value and strengths of every person and how to support them so we can reach our potential as a team."
Once his service was finished, Jered enrolled in Escuela Superior de Hostelería de Sevilla, and it was during this experience he developed the skills that would prove to be the most impactful in his transition to UTSA. Traveling from the Marines to a brand new country proved to be an enormous shift and challenging transition, but Jered learned how to rely on himself, and with the support of his wife and the rest of his family, he was able to adapt to his new environment and excel at culinary school.
"I did not speak Spanish attending culinary school, and the classes were solely in Spanish. I had a rigorous learning schedule for classes. I recorded the classes on my phone, translated them afterward, studied, and re-translated my knowledge as best I could back into Spanish."
After culinary school, Jered and his family moved to San Antonio and from there he decided to enroll at UTSA. He had always been interested in engineering and decided to pursue a degree in chemical engineering, an area he had always been drawn to. It was another tremendous change of environment for him, but Jered relied on the skills he had earned throughout his past life experiences and excelled in his field. Jered also notes fondly how his professors have had a tremendous impact on helping him achieve the academic success he has had throughout his time in the program.
"My professors were always ready and willing to walk me through difficulties. I cannot count how many hours I have spent with professors over the years."
Since starting his time at UTSA, Jered has also been an active member of the American Institute for Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and is thankful for the impactful advice he received and the networking opportunities he developed while working with his fellow chemical engineers. Through these networking opportunities and workshops he attended, Jered was able to land not just one, but two internship opportunities that helped him hone his chemical engineering skills and gain lots of hands-on experience.
After graduation, Jered plans to continue his education at UTSA and receive a Master’s Degree. He is also considering getting his PhD in the future.
— Storm Goodman
This story is a student internship highlight. Read about more Klesse student internship experiences here!
