Posted on October 22, 2024 by Storm Goodman
OCTOBER 21, 2024 - As the new academic year begins, Klesse Student Advisory Council (KSAC) President Diego Valdes Cavazos is eager to kick off an exciting semester filled with opportunities and events, while getting to know the community that calls Klesse College home.
Serving as a voice for all disciplines of Klesse College, KSAC is a student-run organization dedicated to improving the experience of all the students it represents. With an elected representative for every discipline and every year, the council serves as a perfect mediator between the staff and students, congregating students’ input and ideas and delivering them directly to the dean’s office. KSAC is also in charge of planning and hosting many fun events and growth opportunities for the students which Diego is greatly looking forward to sharing. This year, KSAC is planning on hosting at least one event a week for students to check out. Some notable highlights are the Klesse Research Expo, the Innovator Meetup, and the Discipline Forums.
The Klesse College Research Expo is an upcoming event dedicated to the amazing research being conducted at Klesse College across all disciplines. At this expo, students will be able to show off their research projects and discoveries while discovering more opportunities and forming connections for future growth. The Innovator Meetup is an event designed for independent creators to connect with investors while developing their image and collecting valuable insight. The Discipline Forums will be special opportunities for students of each discipline to attend a forum and communicate directly with their department heads on what they would like to see changed or done. More details for these events will be available at a later time, so be sure to follow the Klesse Student Advisory Council on their Instagram (down below) for future announcements.
Though those may be some upcoming events Diego is excited to share, when recalling his personal favorite experience at UTSA, his pick would have to be the annual Monster Mash Pumpkin Smash. “It was incredible to see. People from everywhere attended. I just found it such a beautiful environment, the amazing outreach, the amazing collaboration, and the amazing science,” said Diego. While he is excited about the many upcoming events, his passion for UTSA runs even deeper.
Diego was raised in Monterrey, Mexico, and chose to attend UTSA because of its close proximity to his home. He has a very close-knit family and is thrilled to be attending such an esteemed college not too far from his home. In addition to its location, Diego was also interested in not only what UTSA was when he enrolled, but what it could become throughout his time there. “UTSA has a lot to offer. It’s a growing university and I wanted to be a part of something new and be one of those leaders that brings in that growth,” he said. In addition to his enthusiasm for UTSA’s growth, Diego reflects on the personal impact the faculty has had on his academic journey. The professors have also had a tremendous effect on Diego’s journey in furthering his love for research and higher education. The faculty and staff’s openness, availability, and overall willingness to work with their students, is a highlight and something he just can’t be thankful enough for. Outside of his academics, Diego's interests are just as varied and enriching.
In his free time, Diego enjoys working on research projects and participating in his research lab. As one of his passions, Diego can’t get enough hours in the lab. “I’m pretty much on campus 24 hours a day,” he replied. He serves as a tutor for the ESTEEMED program, guiding other engineering students into finding paths that they love as well. He is also an avid plant lover and has over 50 house plants he enjoys taking care of. “I think of it as a jungle. I love all kinds of plants, I can go fully into it,” he said. Driven by his deep passion for the college, Diego strives to use his free time to maximize every experience he can participate in. Living by a personal mantra of ‘say yes to everything’, he looks forward to attending every event he can throughout the year. Whether it's for Biomedical Engineering, Construction Science Management, or Interior Design, Diego is excited to show up and get involved.
After graduating, he plans on continuing his academic career and attending graduate school. From there, he plans on pursuing a PhD and continuing a lengthy career in academia. Diego is thankful for the opportunities available to him through the MARC (Maximizing Access to Research Careers) Program, a research training initiative dedicated to preparing students for PhDs in behavior and biomedical sciences, and hopes to one day lead a similar program, enabling more underrepresented students to follow their dreams and pursue paths in engineering.
His immense love for the college has translated directly into his excitement to serve as this year's Klesse Student Advisory Council President. He also wants to encourage everyone reading this to stop him in the hallways to say hello and introduce themselves, that is if he's not rushing to another amazing event he just couldn't pass up on.
— Storm Goodman
Klesse Student Advisory Council Instagram - @klessestudentadvisorycouncil
