A short two years after arriving to the U.S., Jorge Moukel — who will graduate this semester with a master’s in computer engineering — has already begun to make a name for himself in the tech industry.
The Venezuela native immigrated to the U.S. after political unrest in his home country began. After getting his undergraduate degree in his country, Moukel began developing mobile applications, making around $200 a month.
That initial interest has since blossomed into a much bigger opportunity: Moukel will be starting work at Apple next semester, developing debugging software for the technology giant. But his journey to success has been riddled with trials.
At 28, Moukel sold his car in Venezuela to finance his first semester at UNM. Once he arrived, he discovered an intimidating new culture and environment.
He’d left his family coming to the states, and experienced severe homesickness. For a while, he considered returning.
Moukel said he didn’t have a lot of confidence and struggled with the workload early on, but between volunteering and studying for the computer engineering program — a degree path with rigors of its own — he kept himself busy.
“Maybe that was something that helped me through my homesickness,” he said. “I had to work, to study. I had a lot of things to do."
Friends — many of them peers from class — and UNM advisers helped settle and support him.
“The Global Education Office helped me a lot. They’re like the nicest people ever,” Moukel said. “They treat you like you’re one of their kids.”
After first-semester hardships, Moukel settled in, and noted his worst grades while pursuing his master’s came during the transition.
By the second semester, he’d adjusted to the culture and developed a sense of belonging on campus and in the country.
“(The U.S.) is a place I like and has a lot of opportunity in my field,” Moukel said. “The economy is one of the things I like. You see a lot of progress here compared to the rest of the world.”
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Moukel said he never felt excluded just because he’s not from here. In fact, he now feels just as comfortable in the states as he does in his home country.
Moukel plans to stay to pursue the next step in his career, he said. First on that list: receiving his work visa and beginning his career with one of the most lucrative companies in the world.
He plans on receiving citizenship after he starts at Apple, but that’s not all the ambitious graduate is eyeing. Moukel has also toyed with the idea of starting his own company.
“I think I would like to learn more about leadership and management. I’d like to have my own software company someday,” he said.
Moukel said he attributes a lot of his success to his soon-to-be alma mater.
“UNM has been great,” he said. “Really, if it hadn’t been for UNM, I don’t think I would have made it.”
Brendon Gray is a news reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @notgraybrendon.
