Gabriel Roman

Attending Arizona State University wasn’t a hard choice for Gabriel Roman, growing up just one town over. On top of that, he says he knew the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering would be the best place to shape his technical skills.

“I selected my major because I love math. It has always been one of my favorite subjects and engineering is a good way to apply my math skills,” Roman says. “I knew I was on the right track when engineering seemed easy for me and I know most people don’t have that experience.”

Outside of the classroom, Roman put his skills to practical use in five different internships. In addition, he says he managed his own landscaping business in order to cover his tuition — a challenge that enabled him to reach graduation debt free.

“I found it far more beneficial to work to learn and, in my opinion, internships are the best way to learn,” Roman says.

In the classroom, he was able to build connections with other civil engineering students while working on larger projects. His most memorable was designing a six-story building for his structures class.

“We spent 20 to 40 hours a week for four weeks on that project and we still failed the design,” Roman says. “However, a lot of times making mistakes is the best way to learn and that was the case for me. I learned a lot and was glad I spent the time on the project.”

He says he is thankful to all the mentors he grew to know during his time at ASU, including Teaching Associate Professor Christopher Lawrence, President’s Professor Keith Hjelmstad and Professor Subramaniam Rajan. 

“They really pushed me to work hard and stretch my limits to learn,” Roman says. “Years from now, those classes and professors will be the most remembered because I had to work very hard to succeed.”

Following graduation, Roman says he plans to begin working for Ryan Companies, a national construction company with offices in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Engineering has given me a different perspective on how I view the world,” he says. “I see things with more depth and it has made me more curious about how everything in life works.”

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ Fall 2022 class here.