Jesús Gustavo Villarreal, raised near the Rio Grande in '60s-'70s Laredo, Texas, had his path altered when his HS Math teacher nominated him for a UT Austin Engineering School trip. He asked Mrs Wright, "What's Engineering?" and she assured him of its alignment with his skills.This pivotal moment led him to Laredo Junior College, then Boston University Engineering School, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He pursued his master’s at MIT in Mechanical Engineering, culminating in a 40-year career at IBM before retiring. Jesús's journey epitomizes seizing opportunities and embracing the unknown.