By Joseph Camacho | Pulse Staff Reporter
All around campus, students are achieving their dreams. Whether it is in academics, sports or personal matters, the general consensus is that the same rules to succeed apply.
“You gotta set a goal for yourself,” said Kinesiology Professor Juan Aguilera. “It’s a day-by-day grind."
Aguilera explained that practicing discipline in your area of expertise will not only allow you to succeed in that area, but it will also carry over into other aspects of your life. Also discipline and goal setting was the keys to his students’ success at an international power lifting competition held in Reno, Nev., last November.
“We took fourth overall in the world championships,” said Aguilera.
Aguilera’s student members of the Palo Alto Strength Society competed with other power lifters from around the world while in Reno and took fourth place as a team.
“The majority of the team got first place in their weight divisions,” said Kinesiology Sophomore Jesus Lozano. “This is something we train for year-round.”
Lozano said motivation and discipline were keys to the team’s success at the competition. Pre-Med freshman Keisha Johnston, who also competed in Reno, said that as a female power lifter the pressure was high.
“You have to really earn your place with this team,” Johnston said.
Staying motivated is what allowed Johnston to achieve her goals.
“When you get knocked down, you gotta get back up and keep trying.”
The PAC Strength Society is training harder than ever, and they said they want to take first place at the World Power Lifting Championship, which will be held in November in Las Vegas, Nev.
Engineering Freshmen Chris Caulk and Justin Elkins took another approach to achieve their recent success at the
“Engineering Brawl” held at Texas A&M-Kingsville in February.
Caulk and Elkins along with Engineering freshman Cordell Pacheco took first place in the competition.
“We only had a week to prepare,” said Elkins.
Both students explained that they were confident in applying their classroom training to the challenge presented at the competition.
“We had to devise a windmill that produced the most voltage and amps,” said Caulk.
The windmill had to be built within an hour.
“We built a prototype before the competition and kind of just streamlined the same model at the competition,” said Elkins.
The key to their success at the competition was simplicity, according to Elkins. “Just keep it simple.”
Caulk added, “Be creative but don’t over complicate things.”
This team of engineering students said that they are looking forward to competing and being successful in next year’s Engineering Brawl.
These are only two stories of success at PAC. There are more untold successes. The advice given by these individuals can be applied to any aspect of life.
Motivation, discipline, creativity and standing up in the face of adversity all seemed to help these students achieve.
The keys to success are universal. Getting back up when you think you can't is what makes all the difference in the world. In the end it is all up to the individual to set goals, overcome obstacles and reach for the success because success is calling.