Leonel De La Torre

I am a first-generation college student and proud Yes Prep Southwest graduate entering my fourth and final year at Boston University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a Manufacturing Concentration.

At school, I am also a Student Advisor for first-year engineering students and an Ambassador for my university’s first-generation resource center. In those roles, I try to ensure that other students have a smooth transition into university life and that they are set up for success no matter their situation. This coming year I will also be the President of the university’s inaugural QuestBridge Chapter, where I will try to create a safe and welcoming community for QuestBridge scholars coming to Boston University.

Outside of school, I have had years of experience working as a handyman for residential construction. For the last two summers, however, I have been working as an engineering intern for a manufacturing company where I have learned to take the concepts I learned in my classes and apply them to real-life problems faced at the plant. The internships have opened my eyes to what I want out of a job when I graduate from college and have paved the way for bigger opportunities to come.

Without the help from my college advisors during the college application process, my family, and my friends, I would not have made it to where I am today. I hope to graduate next year with a full-time job in line so that one day I can hope to repay the favor to my community.