Miguel was born in Mexico City and immigrated to the Bay Area at nine months old. He grew up in Berkeley, California as the second youngest of six siblings and the only brother to five sisters. Throughout his upbringing, Miguel built a strong sense of community and a passion for serving others. He took on roles like counselor assistant and STEM tutor; experiences that shaped his instinct to give back to his community long before he had a name for it.
Miguel recently graduated from University of California, Irvine with a bachelor’s in Science in Biomedical Engineering. His senior design project, LipoLink, pushed him to grow significantly as an engineer. He served as CFD Engineer, running ANSYS Fluent simulations to model fluid behavior and contributing to lab testing. Alongside his technical coursework, Miguel was an active member of the Latino Business Student Association (LBSA). Through LBSA, he built community with his peers while also participating in professional development events geared toward career preparation.
After graduation, Miguel found himself at a crossroads: pursue an MBA right away, or take a year to give back to his community first. That decision naturally led him to the DreamSF Fellowship, where he could step into immigrant advocacy work. Looking ahead, Miguel is preparing for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam and continues plans to pursue his MBA. He seeks to combine both to explore roles in engineering project management.
As a DreamSF Fellow, Miguel is placed with Oasis Legal Services, where he supports asylum work. He focuses on the naturalization process through client intakes, meetings, and tutoring, and other related casework. This experience will deepen Miguel's understanding of immigration processes and the communities he hopes to serve.
As an adventurous person, Miguel grounds himself by taking on hiking trails and chasing scenic views that clear his mind. He's equally as passionate about food, always on the hunt for a new restaurant or dish to try. Running plays a similar role for him, after completing his first half marathon, he is now training for a full one, and finding a quiet sense of purpose in every mile.
