All it takes is one special teacher. For senior mechanical engineering major and Clark Scholar Miko Siarez, that teacher was Mr. Zaleski, his high school AP physics teacher who was  affectionately known among students as “Mr. Z.”

Coming from a family full of nurses, Siarez had been undecided about which major he might pursue in college.

He’d always loved math, but the care Mr. Z. put into his teaching, ensuring his students understood the concepts—“taking that class, I grew to love physics,” says Siarez. “It sparked my interest, and I knew I wanted to be the first engineer in my family.”

Building a strong foundation

Siarez (far right) with fellow members of his Clark Scholars cohort

Earning a spot in the fifth cohort of Clark Scholars, Siarez knew he’d found the right major, school, and university—local to his family in Burtonsville. (“I can’t stay too far from my mom,” he says. “She’s my why, why I try so hard to be successful.”)

He credits the Clark Scholars program not only for the financial support but for the academic and social support as well. The members of his cohort were his first friends on campus, so Siarez began college with “a good foundation and a good community.” He’s grateful for the program’s “amazing advisers,” including Damien Franze, for the guidance and connections.

And he appreciates the service learning projects, including his small group’s project creating a children’s book series that introduces the engineering disciplines through story, drawings, and simple labs. “We wanted to inspire young students, and especially girls, to the world of engineering,” he says.

Small projects make a big impact

Siarez is the sports coordinator and a dance director for the UMD Filipino Cultural Association chapter

Siarez had his first internship after his second year at the Clark School, working at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (APL), designing his own small projects—using 2D and 3D computer-aided design—that fit into the “humungous projects” coming out of APL.

Provided with a lot of guidance, Siarez says the internship set him up for “future success in classes and internships.”

He’s currently interning as a project engineer at steel subcontractor American Ironworks in Hyattsville and hopes to get a return offer for full-time employment.

Showcasing—and embracing—community

Outside of his courses and internship, he has found his community at UMD through the Filipino Cultural Association (FCA) chapter, for which he’s served as a sports coordinator for the executive board and a modern dance director, organizing choreographers and dancers for the club’s annual Phillipine Cultural Night, FCA’s biggest event of the year.

In FCA Siarez found a “safe space” to make meaningful connections and a place “to showcase our culture and community and give respect to our heritage.”