Fall 2025 Cohort
Taeviana Barnes
Major: General Engineering
Taeviana is from Bluefield, Virginia. She plans to major in Civil Engineering. After graduation, she is interested in working with storm water drainage in urban areas.
Eve Benitez
Major: General Engineering
Eve is a first-generation college student attending Virginia Tech to pursue mechanical engineering. She is from Manassas, Virginia, and her favorite color is pink. She loves giving back to her community and expanding STEM outreach to middle and high school students.
Laura Gutierrez-Naced
Major: General Engineering
Laura is from Springfield, Virginia. She aspires to major in Civil Engineering. She wants to build compact homes and medical sites for overpopulated places. She hopes to focus on addressing obstacles like climate change and land pollution by creating environmentally friendly and sustainable structures.
Zenon Herrera
Major: General Engineering
Zenon is from Leesburg, Virginia. He plans to major in Mechanical Engineering. As a kid, he was always told how cool the job of an engineer is. Living in Peru for 6 years changed his perspective on world issues. Moving back to the US made him realize how much the world needs the skills of engineers to improve the lives of people in need. His passion is helping people with his skills. He also has a very strong passion for vehicle systems.
Anwar Hossain
Major: General Engineering
Anwar is from Woodbridge, Virginia. He intends to major in mechanical engineering. Some hobbies he has are biking, hiking, and gaming.
Iris Martinez-Chavez
Major: General Engineering
Iris is from the Eastern Shore Virginia. Not many know where the Eastern Shore is at but she always tells them it is the little peninsula that hangs on to Virginia. Iris intends to declare her major in Mechanical Engineering. In her free time she enjoys reading and doing volunteer work.
Cole McDonald
Major: General Engineering
Cole McDonald is from Winchester, Virginia. He is currently studying General Engineering with plans to major in Chemical Engineering. Outside the classroom, he enjoys backpacking, running, painting, and tattooing. These activities that let him to connect creativity with exploration. He has a strong passion for the outdoors and environmental sustainability, which drives his academic and career ambitions. His goal is to work for a plastics or pharmaceutical company, where he can apply chemical engineering principles to develop sustainable materials and eco-conscious innovations, reducing the environmental impact of modern manufacturing.
Jeffrey Ramirez-Majano
Major: General Engineering
Jeffrey is from Manassas Park, Virginia. He intends to major in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Pupusas are his favorite food and he loves practicing his guitar and learning about history.
Abigail Romero
Major: General Engineering
Abby is from Falls Church, Virginia. She plans on majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Biomedical Engineering. In the future, she wants to work on designing prosthetics and medical devices. She enjoy baking and playing sports with her friends.
Leyla Yilma
Major: General Engineering
Leyla is from Northern Virginia, currently majoring in General Engineering with plans to pursue Mechanical Engineering. She is particularly interested in biomechanics and automotive design, exploring how mechanical systems can improve human motion and vehicle performance. Beyond academics, she is passionate about combining her love of outreach and science to create more STEM opportunities for K-12 students.