After arriving at Montana Tech sight unseen, first-generation mechanical engineering student thrives

Steven Valencia-Sauno admits that when he was a high school senior in Libby, Montana, his vision for his future was a little murky. He knew engineering sounded like a good fit for his interests and strengths.

“I honestly had no idea where I was going to go after high school, but my friend Chase said ‘I’m going to Montana Tech,’ and I told him ‘I’ll look into that.’”

Valencia-Sauno applied to Montana Tech, signed up to be Chase’s roommate, and arrived on campus for the very first time for Orientation, without ever setting foot on campus beforehand.

“It was so scary,” Valencia-Sauno said. “It was nerve-wracking. I didn’t know what to expect. My parents didn’t know what to expect. We all wished for the best. Eventually I got used to the college life which took a while, but everyone in the dorms got along, which helped.”

Valencia-Sauno also was able to consult with the TRIO office, which serves first-generation and low-income students.

“They definitely helped me figure out what to do and gave me helpful advice,” Valencia-Sauno said.

Now in his fourth year of mechanical engineering, Valencia-Sauno is looking forward to entering the workforce. Mechanical engineering offers a wide variety of career choices.

“Sometimes I’m geared toward marine, other times aerospace, it really depends on the day,” Valencia-Sauno said.

He’s really enjoyed his time at Montana Tech and says cheering on the Oredigger athletics teams is one of his favorite parts of college.

“The games get really fun and exciting,” Valencia-Sauno said. “There’s a lot to do here, and being able to hang out with friends around Butte is great.”

Valencia-Sauno said being a first-generation student has come with additional steps to figuring out how college works.

“Thankfully I had the support from my family and friends,” he said. ”That support has kept me going and makes me excited for the future.”

Even though things are going well at Montana Tech, his advice to other prospective students would be to explore their options prior to showing up on campus.

“If I could go back and do it again, I would still choose Montana Tech, but plan things out better,” he said. “I recommend checking out colleges and encourage students to focus on finding the best college for their career. Visiting wouldn’t be a bad idea either.”