Growth, resilience and self-discovery are traits that José Carlos Arnal de la Peña developed as an international engineering student at UToledo.
The College of Engineering’s Co-Op program made all of that possible.
CELEBRATING SUCCESS: UToledo recognizes the Class of 2023 with a series of stories featuring students receiving their degrees at fall commencement.
Arnal de la Peña, a civil engineering student from Cordoba, Spain, earned a merit-based scholarship to attend his junior year of high school in the United States.
He was selected by St. John’s Jesuit Academy in Toledo to attend school there for a year as an international student. By the end of that year, they offered him a scholarship to stay an extra year and earn his diploma from St. John’s.
“The end of my senior year of high school, I began applying to universities around the United States,” Arnal de la Peña said. “It was a scary time because I knew the cost of attending college in the U.S. is incredibly high, but I didn’t want to pass up such an amazing opportunity.
“I decided to attend the College of Engineering at The University of Toledo because of the co-op program, since it would give me the opportunity to get experience while financially helping make this dream of mine possible. I could have never done college in the United States if it wasn’t for the co-op program.”
During Arnal de la Peña’s sophomore year, the College of Engineering held an online Engineering Career Fair due to COVID restrictions. He landed a co-op position at the SSOE Group for summer 2021 and was asked to return to SSOE for spring 2022, but this time in the structural engineering department.
“From the beginning, I loved working with my structural engineering group. I was getting training on Revit, taking on more responsibilities and feeling like I was making a difference and adding value to the team, so I went back for another semester during fall 2022,” Arnal de la Peña said. “Throughout this time, I was working at the UToledo Learning Enhancement Center as a math and engineering tutor during the semesters that I wasn’t on co-op.”
The job was great, he said, but he was struggling financially, so he inquired at SSOE about working part time as a structural engineering co-op while in school. That went well, so he completed a fourth co-op, full time, last summer and is employed with them part time again this semester.
José Carlos Arnal de la Peña, a civil engineering student from Cordoba, Spain, takes the oath of the Obligation of the Order as part of the ceremony for UToledo engineering graduates.
“Taking on 18 credit hours since sophomore year and working non-stop is a tough but rewarding experience,” Arnal de la Peña said. “Most of the time, undergraduate international students come to the U.S. based on a combination of merit and their financial situation back home. For me, it was mostly all merit since my family’s resources are extremely limited.
“I am really proud of how I was able to navigate my situation in spite of all the constraints I was facing to make this opportunity work. At the end of the day, it is thanks to the UToledo College of Engineering co-op program that I was able to take on opportunities that would significantly aid my situation and I did it all on my own.”
He named Dr. Defne Apul, professor and chair of the civil engineering department, and Kyle Sawyer, assistant director of civil department student services, as having the most impact on him as a civil engineering student.
“When I first met José, I knew he was going to be a successful Rocket Engineer,” Sawyer said. “José not only makes a positive impact in the work he completes, but also in the lives of the people around him. The contributions he has made as a student in our department have been invaluable and he will be missed; however, I know that he will continue to make a huge impact not only in his career, but also in the relationships he forms. I’m excited to see what his future holds.”
Apul added that it’s been amazing to watch Arnal de la Peña’s journey from a first-year engineering student to a competent civil engineer passionate about structural engineering.
“I loved seeing his strong work ethic, curiosity and insight into problems in classes,” she said. “He is also a kind and helpful person and supported many of our department’s operations. The sky is the limit for Jose. I am grateful he chose civil engineering and that UToledo could help him achieve his goals.”
Arnal de la Peña recently got an offer letter from SSOE to start as an engineer 1 in the automotive manufacturing and facilities group after graduation.
“This was such exciting news as it meant that I could continue my experience in the USA, as a professional this time,” he said.
Still, as proud as Arnal de la Peña is of his hard-won accomplishments, he said it is the emotional memories that most define his time as a Rocket.
“I vividly recall my freshman year at Parks Towers and the excitement of being part of this welcoming community. My first football game, endless hours at Carlson Library and countless experiences throughout my years at UToledo that define a big part of who I am,” he said. “My journey here wasn’t exactly one without its challenges, as I had to leave behind my motherland, childhood friends and family to pursue my dreams in the United States. As an international student driven by merit alone, I faced the daunting task of managing life in a foreign country. Despite these hurdles, I’m incredibly proud of my achievements, from co-op experiences to academic performance and the invaluable connections I’ve built along the way.
“As I approach graduation, I find myself cherishing the transformation this journey has brought,” Arnal de la Peña said. “The University of Toledo will forever have a special place in my heart as the keeper of cherished memories and a symbol of growth.”
