Marcelo Zuleta Sarmiento

Marcelo Zuleta Sarmiento is a Sophomore in Civil Engineering, with a GPA of 3.79, from Fredericksburg, Virginia. He believes that the best thing about being a VT Engineer is the professional value he obtains from his studies here. He can connect with many other engineers and professionals and feels like he is able to bring a sense of camaraderie into the classroom and workplace.  When he was younger, Marcelo dreamed of being either a professional soccer player or an engineer. Now, he’s pursuing his dream of being an engineer, strengthening it into the goal of becoming a successful structural engineer where he can build sustainable infrastructure for communities that are in need.

Through the CEED, Marcelo is involved in Galipatia and plans professional development events for the freshman engineers to attend, such as Slush Rush, a networking event that is used to bring in professors and professionals in fields to speak to the freshman and answer questions about engineering and jobs. He also works as a mentor to first year Galipatia freshman and plans on being a mentor again in the following year. He has also been involved in Hour of Code at Blacksburg Middle School and Micah’s Backpack at the local church. Now, he is part of SHPE outreach where he helps plan fundraisers.

One of Marcelo’s role models is his older sister, someone he looks up to for her great work ethic and ability to accomplish goals with a strong will. Her humbleness and success in her endeavors is something he strives to integrate in his own actions. When outside of class, Marcelo enjoys listening to a large variety of music, along with playing basketball, watching sports, and playing guitar.