WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

FROM THE ORGANS TO THE ANDES

How an NMSU Alum Spreads Peace in Peru

DATE: June 1, 2023

Three years ago, at the height of the COVID pandemic, Lucas Rivera ’20, ’23 decided to pursue a master’s degree in civil engineering after receiving his bachelor’s degree in the same subject from NMSU. With no in-person graduation ceremony and limited contact with other students at NMSU, he figured he could at least continue his educational journey to make the best of a difficult situation. But it was in the journey that his life’s purpose became more clearly defined.

Lucas was the subject of an article in LOOK TO THE FUTURE magazine in the fall of 2022 just as he was completing his master’s degree. He was named the Outstanding Graduate for the master’s program and soon took off for Amazonas, Peru to join the Peace Corps as a volunteer in community health promotion. We caught up with him recently to learn more about his work and his adventures in this small mountain town of about 200 people.

Q1. Lucas, tell us about your current work.

A1. Peace Corps volunteers live, learn, and work with a community overseas for twenty-seven months, providing technical assistance in six program areas: Education, Community Economic Development, Youth in Development, Health, Agriculture, and Environment. My chosen area is Community Health Promotion.

We work alongside the community to promote healthy living practices, especially with pregnant mothers, anemic children, mothers of children under five, and teenagers. We are often placed in rural communities where access to resources is limited, especially water, educational opportunities, and medical treatment.

My job is to promote healthy practices within the community. Secondary activities include water hygiene education, English classes, and chess club. This has been my dream for as long as I can remember.

It is challenging being so far away from home and all that is familiar to me (family, language, food, and culture). The highs and lows of everyday life here are way more dramatic than anything I have experienced in my comfort zone back home in Canjilon. Despite the challenges, I feel like I am right where I need to be at this point in my life.

Q2. How did your time and work at NMSU prepare you for this job?

A2. It’s crazy how similar agricultural communities throughout the world can be. Coming from an Ag school with an agricultural mentality has served me as I integrated into my new community completely focused on farming. Additionally, the numerous opportunities I received to travel internationally while at NMSU helped me in my role as a global citizen now that I am living abroad. Aggies Without Limits, Aggies Go Global, and the study abroad office gave me the toolset I needed to be an effective international volunteer.

Q3. Now that you are working in your chosen discipline, how do you mentor others?

A3. Now that I am in the “real world,” it is abundantly clear to me that I would not be where I am or have gotten the opportunities that I received without the amazing mentorship that I have been given in my life. Through the Center of Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics at NMSU, we were always encouraged to receive and give mentorship. I am a product of STEM learning mentorship, and I love paying it forward by providing STEM classes and sessions with my students both here in Peru and back home.

My favorite session is the “spaghetti and marshmallow session” where you challenge students to become civil engineers for the day and have them become problem solvers by building towers or bridges using real marshmallows and dry spaghetti noodles. It is amazing how many students begin thinking, “Hey, maybe I COULD be an engineer!”

“I feel like I am right where I need to be at this point in my life.”

Q4. As someone who works internationally, how important is it to you to gain a “world view” as you embark on a career?

A4. The world is becoming a smaller place, and we are more connected to one another than at any other point in history. This can be cause for friction or this can be cause for friendship—the choice is ours. In a time when we can communicate at the speed of light and acknowledge our similarities and differences via phone screen, it seems like we have some choices to make.

Before, a “world view” was almost an option in a time where most peoples’ “worlds” were limited to the extent of their neighborhood or community. Things are different now, and it is going to take more effort, cooperation, and understanding for citizens of the world to see eye to eye than ever before.

Q5. What is something you miss about NMSU?

A5. I miss the sense of community of NMSU. There is a group or a club for everyone there, and I miss the ability to make friends with people of all different backgrounds daily. People help each other out, volunteer because they feel like it, and work hard towards their goals.

Also, I miss the red and green chile! They don't have that here in my town in Peru, although my family is pretty good about sending me some Hatch green chile every so often.

Q6. What is something you learned at NMSU that helps you in your day-to-day work?

A6. The diverse backgrounds and cultures at NMSU helped give me some cultural awareness as I am integrating into a completely new culture in Amazonas, Peru. I remember once sitting in a meeting while pursuing my master’s degree and noticing that five of the seven continents were represented in that small room. It was a pretty cool thing to realize.

“I know I wouldn’t have been able to fully realize my goals without scholarship support and guidance from my mentors.”

Q7. How does the support you received at NMSU empower you to do work that changes the world?

A7. I grew up thinking that travel (especially international travel) is something only rich people do. But I knew I wanted to do it. I worked hard to be able to travel during my undergraduate and graduate degrees, but I know I wouldn’t have been able to fully realize my goals without scholarship support and guidance from my mentors.

During my time at NMSU, I was able to volunteer in 12 different countries through various clubs, study abroad, and personal trips. We also did a ton of local community service projects throughout Southern New Mexico ranging from infrastructure to educational activities. I did not expect there to be so many opportunities at NMSU, and I was pleasantly surprised at how willing to help everyone in my experience was.

Q8. What do you want to do after you leave the Peace Corps?

A8. After Peace Corps, I will go into industry work as a geotechnical engineer. I am playing with the idea of working for the federal government or perhaps pursuing a career in dam safety. My first goal is to get experience so I can obtain my professional engineering certification.

Q9. Would you encourage others to study engineering? Why?

A9. I would encourage someone to be an engineer if they enjoy solving problems, working on projects, and shaping the world around them. The pay is good, the job market is generally secure, and there are various things one can do with an engineering degree.

“It is going to take more effort, cooperation, and understanding for citizens of the world to see eye to eye than ever before.” – Lucas Rivera ’20, ’23