Meet an Incoming Freshman of CatholicTech

Maria Isabel Pastrana-O’Connor is an incoming freshman from San Antonio, Texas coming to CatholicTech this fall

I went to a smaller high school, and while there were not many class options, I took as many STEM classes as I could. In middle school, I was the captain of the robotics club, and went on to do a computer science club for a time while in high school. Later, I was exposed to engineering when my older brothers both chose to study engineering while I was still in high school. From hearing about their studies and experiences, I knew that I wanted to do engineering too.

I have chosen to study mechanical engineering at CatholicTech because I think it would be a good base to be able to go to study more kinds of engineering. Ultimately, I would like to go to study petroleum engineering after CatholicTech. Mechanical engineering is the most fundamental of engineering fields, and it will provide me with a good grounding for the future.

I heard about CatholicTech from my father, who saw one of their posts on Facebook and thought I should apply. At first, it was a bit of a leap for me to go to college that far away from home, but I was so happy and excited when I got accepted! It was not a difficult decision for me to accept CatholicTech because there are so many good possibilities and opportunities that came with it. I felt that it is a miracle in and of itself for me to be accepted to CatholicTech, and for everything else that occurred for me to be able to come in the fall, and because of that I really believe that this is God’s plan for me.

I am very excited to meet everyone coming to campus this fall; because there is a small group of us in this first class, we’ll get to know each other quickly. It requires a certain amount of boldness to do a program like this, and I’m looking forward to meeting new and interesting people. I also did choir in high school for 2 years, and I went to Italy this past summer to perform in different towns throughout Italy. I’m hoping at CatholicTech to help form a school choir, and maybe even a gardening club on CatholicTech’s beautiful campus. I am really excited to see the location of the campus, and to be outside of Rome while being able to take trips around Italy. There are so many things to be excited about, and I am looking forward to joining the first class of CatholicTech this fall!