Local Engineer Shares Inspiring Story with FWISD English Learners
Oscar Vazquez, a subject of the motion picture and The New York Times bestselling book “Spare Parts,” shared his inspiring story with 100 Fort Worth ISD students participating in a Summer STEM Camp for English Learners, June 19.
Mr. Vazquez came to United States from Mexico undocumented as a child. He was part of a high school robotics program in Arizona that went on to win a national competition beating out programs like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2009, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the Arizona State University. He went on to gain his U.S. citizenship and enlist in the U.S. Army, where he earned the rank of sergeant, and served in Afghanistan. Sgt. Vazquez currently lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and works for BNSF Railway.
Written by Joshua Davis, “Spare Parts: Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream,” is the story of four Latinx teenagers who built an underwater robot that won the 2004 Marine Advanced Technology Education Robotics Competition at the University of California -Santa Barbara, beating out collegiate engineers backed by major corporations. The inspiring story went onto to become a documentary and 2015 motion picture that starred George Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtis and Marisa Tomei.
On June 19, in a Sid Richardson Lecture Hall at Texas Christian University, Sgt. Vazquez shared this inspiring story with English Learners and discussed college and career opportunities available to students. FWISD ESL officials say they believe Mr. Vazquez’s inspiring story of overcoming obstacles and finding success in the United States resonates with students.
“This is a great opportunity for our kids to hear an inspiring story of success,” said Dr. Karen Neal, interim ESL director.
Students participating in the Summer STEM Camp for English Learners are developing an understanding of science concepts as they learn strategies for listening, speaking, reading and writing challenging texts in English. They are also reading excerpts from the book “Spare Parts.”
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