Inspired by his relatives, Mt. SAC Early College Academy senior Noah Gonzalez wants to major in mechanical engineering when he goes to college. After not being certain about what to major in, the purchase of his first car helped him realize that working on cars was a passion he’s been driven by. 

“It wasn’t something I always wanted to do. It also wasn’t a last minute thing. For a while now I’ve just liked cars, so I bought a car, started working on it, realized it was something I really enjoy and decided it was something I found worth pursuing, and from there I decided to work on cars,” says Gonzalez.

When he graduates, he plans to major in mechanical engineering even despite its challenges.

“I plan on going to Citrus or another community college to take a mechanical engineering program, which is a lot of math, but I want to do it because it’s interesting,” said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez says he grew up around people who had a love for engineering, sparking his interest in the field and making him the person he is today.  

“My older cousin and a couple of my uncles, as well as my grandpa. There have already been a few people in my life that I ask for their help very often, their opinions matter to me very much.”

Gonzalez prides himself on his incredible talent of having a memory near that of an elephant. He also goes on to mention his specifications for this ability, claiming that he can only remember things that stay within his conscience consistently. 

“I can read something and remember it, or I can read something and take a month off of the book, but remember exactly where I left off.” Gonzalez said. Acknowledging the size of the world we live in, it’s just as big as Gonzalez’s ambitions for his exciting future ahead of him.

“[I want to] see a lot of different places,  I want to go to Japan, Egypt and Hawaii. The world’s big, and there’s so much to explore. I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii, it’s really peaceful,” said Gonzalez. Concluding his list of ambitions for the future, Gonzalez plans to travel the world and explore places he’s only dreamt of experiencing.

As most seniors, Gonzalez is nervous about graduating and seeing what the future has in store for him. However, he also is ready for the next chapter of his life to start.

“It’s pretty cool and scary at the same time, but I’m excited nonetheless,” said Gonzalez.