headshot of daniel fernandez
“My experience as a full-time student that also works full-time has been overwhelming at times, but I know that all this work has been worth it."

Daniel Fernandez, a computer science major from Winnemucca Nevada, will be graduating this May. Daniel chose his major because he has always been naturally good at math and enjoys solving problems.

“The thing about the expanding field of computer science is the endless possibilities in learning and growing. You can tap into different areas such as robotics, data science, or software development,” said Daniel.

When deciding on where to go for college Daniel knew he wanted to leave his state to explore more of the country. He decided UTPB was the perfect fit for him to accomplish just that. Not only had Daniel never been to Texas before but the affordability of UTPB was a huge selling point. Daniel is one of twelve Presidential Scholarship recipients the University selects every year. Students who receive the Presidential Scholarship have their full tuition and fees covered.

“My favorite thing about UTPB is the comfortable culture that exists here. It’s peaceful. The people here are unique and have always been friendly.”

During his time at UTPB, Daniel has accomplished many things while getting his degree. One of his favorite experiences was securing an internship thanks to the help of the Career Services office at UTPB. Out of the many internship options available Daniel decided on Verde Mining, a company that specializes in bitcoin mining. The openness, understanding, and enthusiasm with which Daniel was approached in his interview blew him away and he knew that this was the best fit for him.

The internship at Verde Mining lasted three months and, in this time, Daniel received more than he could’ve asked for. He learned about software development, industry standards regarding software, and more about the bitcoin industry. He also expanded his network through the people he met during this internship.

“Megan Baeza in the office of Career Services was immensely helpful through this entire process and I cannot thank her enough for her time and dedication. If it weren’t for the opportunities I’ve had at UTPB and Verde Mining I wouldn’t have made it this are in my career,” said Daniel, “I have gained confidence in my skills and the knowledge I’ve learned in my field is incomparable. Overall, the experience was amazing.”

While at UTPB Daniel worked on a research project related to the internship he did at Verde Mining. It was a reverse engineering project for a web service to learn how bitcoin miners interact with networks and software. 

“My experience as a full-time student that also works full-time has been overwhelming at times. It was tough to balance work, school, and life all at the same time and I know that is a similar situation for other students as well. Still, I know that all this work has been worth it and I already see the progress and growth in my personal life.”

After graduating this May Daniel plans to work on establishing himself as a Senior Software Developer, ultimately creating his own business with his skills in the field. He also would like to have the opportunity to work for Google someday for the experience.