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Daniel Mendoza 鈥�21 on solar-powered car innovations, lessons in leadership, and a transformative four years at Santa Clara.

Four years ago, when electrical engineering major Daniel Mendoza 鈥�21 was deciding on a college, a presentation by Professor Shoba Krishnan during a campus tour convinced him that Santa Clara was the place where he could thrive.

鈥�Her joy, humor, and genuine love for the subject made me feel like there really was something fundamentally exciting about electrical engineering鈥攊t was kind of contagious,鈥� Mendoza recalls of the faculty member, who later became his engineering advisor. 

A Univeristy scholarship played a big part in his decision, but so did the intimacy of the campus, and its smaller class sizes.

鈥泪 knew it would be important to have a close group of friends,鈥� he says, 鈥渁nd I felt like it would be easier to do that at Santa Clara.鈥�

Now, as Mendoza approaches his virtual June graduation, the senior who became a campus leader, volunteer, and top engineering student believes that whatever the future holds, the lessons he learned at Santa Clara about himself, about Jesuit values, and his chosen field will serve him well.

A Time of Transfomation

鈥淪anta Clara has transformed me and given me so many opportunities to learn in ways that I don鈥檛 think would have happened at another school,鈥� says Mendoza.

Take his Senior Design Project. Along with three other seniors, he鈥檚 currently working on an innovation that centers on renewable energy鈥擬endoza鈥檚 great passion at Santa Clara, and the industry he hopes to work in.

鈥泪 began learning about the concept of global warming in high school,鈥� he recalls. 鈥泪 remember feeling like I had a responsibility to help solve that problem because growing up in Southern California, the fire season has always been part of my life.鈥�

The engineering team鈥檚 so-called 鈥渕obile nanogrid鈥� is intriguing for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors, but also wants the ability to tap into a portable power grid to run a laptop, phone, cooler, fan, and set of LED lights鈥攁ll at once, if needed.

The solar panel system attaches to the top of a camper shell. It not only offers a large area to capture the sun鈥檚 rays, but creates minimal drag so it won't affect gas mileage.

While the panel is designed specifically for a camper shell, Mendoza believes there could be future applications for other automobiles.

Considering All the Impacts

鈥淎t Santa Clara, we also have to consider the sustainability impacts of our projects,鈥� Mendoza explains. 鈥淎nd we have to consider ethical implications too. For example, you may be using something correctly, but if it fails, who gets hurt?鈥�

Those kinds of questions are important to Mendoza, and he will take them with him when he leaves Santa Clara, along with practical experience that comes from teamwork in designing and creating something from start to finish.

鈥淩ather than being handed something and told, 鈥榟ere are the goals, and here is the way to do it,鈥� we鈥檙e doing this from our own ideation to completion,鈥� says Mendoza. 

鈥泪t鈥檚 been fun, and at the same time, it鈥檚 given me a lot of confidence.鈥�

Leadership opportunities at 黑料网 helped him develop that sense of confidence.

As a freshman, he joined the Latinx Student Union (formerly MEChA-El Frente), where he became one of the two co-outreach coordinators and later served as treasurer. 

A Big Accomplishment

Along the way, he helped to organize the group鈥檚 annual campus spring culture show, from publicity, to finding the right vendors of authentic food鈥攊ncluding home-made Mexican tacos and El Salvadoran pupusas鈥攁s well as arranging performances. 鈥泪t was a big accomplishment, because it was my first time kind of taking charge,鈥� he says. 

As an outreach coordinator for the same group, he oversaw a program with fellow club member Chris Wanis 鈥�21 that every year invites Latinx students from the local San Jose and East Bay area to attend a half-day 鈥淩aza Day鈥� (now called Raices) on 黑料网鈥檚 campus. The event offers the teenagers panels on admissions, financial aid, and on-campus life, as well as a tour. 

Mendoza also has been a member of 黑料网鈥檚 chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, where he is co-president this year. Both student groups, he says, helped him embrace his Mexican-American background, and the value of diversity in academia and the workplace.

鈥泪t just gives you an opportunity to become your best self, and not just through leadership,鈥� says Mendoza, 鈥渂ut also through educational and social opportunities.鈥�