Luis A. Garcia-Altagracia (M’19) earned his Master of Engineering in transportation engineering and is now working as a transportation engineer trainee at the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT). He heard about UHart from his wife, a lifelong resident of Connecticut, who spoke of the social and cultural diversity of the students at the school. Between this and the intuitive Master of Engineering program, Garcia-Altagracia saw UHart as the place to go.
Garcia-Altagracia says he chose to study transportation engineering because he was always attracted to the logistics, design, process, and execution that is behind all kinds of transportation projects. “Knowing the important role transportation plays for the economy and development of any country, I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself,” he explains. “Making contributions to enhance transportation; reduce traffic jams; improve roads and bridges, create more pedestrian and cycling facilities; and analyze and create new routes to cut travel time were what pushed me to study and live my dream of being a transportation engineer.”
After deciding to attend UHart, Garcia-Altagracia says he had the support of all of the engineering department staff, but one faculty member in particular made an imprint on his success—Professor of Civil Engineering Mohammad Saleh Keshawarz. Garcia-Altagracia recalls attending school in Puerto Rico in 2017 when Hurricane Maria hit and destroyed almost the entire island. He had to transfer to a different university to be able to continue studying. “The University of Hartford allowed to me to continue following my dreams,” he says. When he finally arrived at UHart, the first person he met was Keshawarz, who listened to his story and supported him with all the doubts that Garcia-Altagracia says he brought with him, due to the lack of proficiency of the language and knowledge of the culture. Keshawarz, also being an immigrant, shared his experience and advice to help Garcia-Altagracia address the challenging situations he was experiencing at the time. Since that moment, Keshawarz became his academic advocate and main support. Any question Garcia-Altagracia had, Keshawarz was there to help. “I don’t have enough words to thank to him; he really impacted and changed my life,” Garcia-Altagracia says.
As an international student, Garcia-Altagracia says he had a pleasant experience thanks to his connections. “My faculty were there to support me and help me find a solution, especially when I had my challenges,” he recalls. “I also made friends from all parts of the world and learned about cultures that I never imagined knowing.” In addition, Garcia-Altagracia had the opportunity to work as a graduate assistant, where he was exposed to the responsibility and academic load of a professor. “I not only graduated UHart with a substantial amount of academic and personal growth, but also with a great level of cultural exposition and valuable experiences instilling how to be part of the community and serve it,” he says.
During his time as a student at UHart, Garcia-Altagracia says he was exposed to many things, but without a doubt, he appreciates the expectation his professors placed on him. Garcia-Altagracia walked away with key skills in managing responsibility, punctuality, originality, professionalism, and teamwork. “In the end, those qualities are what define you as a good professional and is exactly what I apply daily in my job,” he says. “Additionally, my experience as a graduate assistant taught me how to address a superior, be efficient, and multitask in order to do the best work possible.”
Because of his experience at UHart, Garcia-Altagracia was able to land his current job with the ConnDOT. “My interview would not have gone as well as it did without having the knowledge, experiences, and exposure I had as a student at UHart,” he states.
Luis A. Garcia-Altagracia, M’19, Master of Engineering in transportation engineeringI decided to attend UHart due to its amazing graduate engineering program. I was really looking to acquire new knowledge at the highest level academically to advance in my career with the DOT. Additionally, the impressive faculty made my decision much easier.