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City Tech Salutatorian Jhonatan Echavarria Determined to ‘Give Back’ to Future Students
“Life isn’t just about getting a degree. It’s also about helping others,” says Jhonatan Echavarria, City Tech’s 2009 salutatorian (second in his class). “Anything that comes easy, goes easy,” he adds, noting that “obstacles make us stronger.”
And Echavarria had his share of obstacles to overcome. He came to the U.S. from Santo Domingo in late 2003, speaking very little English. At the School for the Physical City High School in Manhattan, he devoted himself to learning English and worked part-time to help support his family.
“My parents immigrated here before me and by the time I arrived, my dad had retired,” he says. “Money was tight and I had to contribute financially to the household. A low point was when I failed the English Regents exam as a high school senior and had to retake it. I then practiced writing English from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day to prepare, and I passed it the second time around.”
Coming to City Tech, he says, was a turning point for him. Originally planning to earn a two-year associate degree in electromechanical engineering technology and then join the armed forces, Echavarria was encouraged by his mentors at the College to set the bar higher. “My professors put me into the pipeline,” he explains, “taught me to work hard, attend academic conferences and shoot for advanced degrees in engineering. I can never thank them enough for their encouragement and inspiration.”
The feeling, apparently, is mutual. Professor Reginald Blake, director of City Tech’s Black Male Initiative Program, says, “Jhonatan is one of the very best students, fortitude-wise, I’ve ever met. When his father died in December, it was very difficult for him to stay on track with all of his responsibilities and obligations, but he wasn’t deterred from his mission. He knows where he wants to go and continues with determination on the path he has chosen – to earn a master’s followed by a PhD in electrical engineering from City College (CCNY).
“He and I will be doing research together while he is in graduate school,” Professor Blake adds. “Jhonatan is not only a brilliant student, but he is eager to share his achievements with other students and help them navigate the vicissitudes of college life.”
Making the Dean’s List at City Tech four times, Echavarria is graduating with a bachelor of technology in computer engineering technology with a 3.820 grade point average out of a possible 4.0. During his undergraduate years, he has been deeply engaged in a number of research projects that have earned him recognition, including one designed to improve the efficiency of passenger elevators via an artificial neural network.
“I used the concept that traffic flows generally form definable patterns that can be used to predict future traffic flow behaviors. An elevator programmed to return to the first floor after each call showed a 42 percent improvement in elevator call time responsiveness,” he explains. “The project demonstrated clearly that using this kind of algorithm will lead not only to increased passenger satisfaction, but also to significant energy savings,” he explained.
Despite maintaining a grueling schedule of full-time study and two or three jobs at any given time during his college years, Echavarria managed to take advantage of all City Tech offered to enrich his academic experience.
In addition to participating in the Black Male Initiative, he was an Emerging Scholar and conducted his research under the auspices of the New York City Alliance for Minority Participation (NYC-LSAMP). In 2008, he presented his research at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM, and represented the College again earlier this month when he delivered a paper on his elevator research at two conferences -- IEEE: the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers’ Long Island Systems, Applications and Technology Conference (held at SUNY-Farmingdale) and at the Urban University Conference 2009 (College of Staten Island). IEEE has accepted his work for publication on its website.
Echavarria, 24, enjoys working as a College Lab Technician (CLT) at City Tech, work he plans to continue while pursuing a graduate degree. He says he looks forward to finding ways of using technology to improve the lives of others, especially in areas that require computerized instrumentation.
“My future plans include developing a new research project on applying artificial intelligence to the power grid in order to monitor and effectively deliver electricity,” he explains. He hopes to participate in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Center (NOAA-CREST) program at CCNY to learn to use remote sensing to explore electrical engineering topics of interest to him.
Echavarria sums up his prescription for success in three words: commitment (having the initiative to set a goal), responsibility (undertake the work required) and dedication (putting in the requisite time and energy). “I hope that my experiences at City Tech will inspire others,” he says. “I believe in giving back to the College in return for what the College has given me -- and becoming part of the College’s tradition of providing opportunities for all.”
05.15.09
