Rockville Scholars: Julio Cruz

Name: Julio Cruz

Age: 20

School: Montgomery College

Accomplishment: Received a $1,000 scholarship from the Rockville Scholarship Foundation, Inc. for his academic achievements. 

Key to success: “I think that the most important factor is that since I’m in this country, this country has so many opportunities and I want to take advantage of them and I want to give back to the people and the students,” said Cruz, who hails from El Salvador. “Also, I want to help my mother, because she’s the one who raised me and my sister and I was only raised by her, so I want to do her proud.”

Cruz, who came to the United States knowing no English, attended in Kensington, where he was named "ESOL Student of the Year" in 2009 by the Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce. He currently attends , where he received the Dean’s Excellent Award this spring. Cruz seeks a doctorate in mechanical engineering, a field he said he chose because of its close relation to mathematics.

“I have always loved math,” he said. “It’s one of my strongest subjects. I really enjoy math and overall I enjoy everything. I also enjoy knowing how things work, so that’s why I decided to study mechanical engineering.”

Cruz is a member of the college’s Math Club and a tutor in both math and Spanish. During the summer, he will take a course in thermodynamics and also plans to take a differential equations course.

Advice to others seeking a Rockville Scholarship Foundation, Inc. award: “I think they should be involved in community activities and I think that when they study, they should give it their best effort,” said Cruz. “Everything that you do, if you do it with a little effort, is going to pay off at the end.”