Aldine ISD Alumnus, Current MIT Senior Makes Waves

Juan José Jaramillo Montezco’s curiosity and humility have led to his success as well as the desire to help others.

---

[dropcap color=”#888″ type=”square”]I[/dropcap]ntense wonder, family, and society are important to Juan José Jaramillo Montezco. They create the spark that drives him forward. MIT News featured the 2012 Aldine ISD graduate in a recent article.

Below are excerpts from the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]article written by Catherine Curro Caruso.

Juan José grew up in a small town in Mexico before moving to the Aldine area at 13. He recalls translating for his parents while he was still learning English.

Nimitz High School grad Juan José Jaramillo was salutatorian of the Class of 2012.

“I think I had to grow up a little faster because my parents wouldn’t hold my hand for so long,” said Juan José. “I’ve had to grow due to the necessity of helping them out. I think that’s been very meaningful for me.”

As a young child, Juan José was curious. His father, a chemistry and physics teacher in Mexico, fueled that sense of wonder early. He would show his son’s classroom experiments.

“He had that inquisitiveness in him,” said Juan José. “That was really positive in my development.”

Seizing an Opportunity

Juan José describes himself as a far-from-perfect student in high school. During his junior year at Nimitz High School, a friend gave him some advice. He applied for the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Minority Introduction for Engineering and Sciences. The MIT Office of Engineering Outreach Programs offers the summer initiative. As a MITES student, Juan José spent six weeks at MIT. He was completely immersed in science and engineering coursework. It wasn’t long before he realized that MIT was where he wanted to be for college.

“It was a dream come true,” said Juan José.

Exploring Chemistry Through Research

At MIT, Juan  José was immediately attracted to chemistry. He describes it as “magical” and “interacts with your senses the most.” But Juan José wanted to help the highest number of people possible. He decided to pursue chemistry within the context of engineering.

For two years, Juan José [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]conducted crystals engineering research with Allan Myerson. Myerson is a professor of the practice of chemical engineering. Juan José worked on designing a system called Pharmacy on Demand. The system is roughly the size of a refrigerator. It can synthesize raw chemicals into usable medications. This system is especially needed in developing communities where shipping medications is difficult.

“It definitely fueled my drive to positively affect people through engineering,” said Juan José.

Juan José also pursued research in an area that interests him: grapes. He hopes to own a vineyard someday. Near the end of his junior year, Juan jumped at the chance to work with Jean-François Hamel. Hamel is a research engineer in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Juan José and the team worked on developing a new fermentation system. This work became a full-time project where Juan was involved in all stages of the research.

“This has been one of the most independent types of research that I’ve been able to have,” he said. “I’ve been able to be essentially what a grad is and conducting my own research.”

Helping Others Leads to a Change of Course

As busy as Juan José is at MIT, he devotes time to Camp Kesem. It is a one-week camp for children whose parents are dealing with cancer. Juan has been involved in various leadership roles within the organization. He currently serves as the outreach and operations director. His goal is to help the children and their families as much as possible by raising funds to run the camp, ensuring campers have a fantastic experience, and providing support to the families throughout the year.

Initially, Juan José worked as a counselor with 6- to 8-year-old campers. These young kids faced great adversity. But they had this boundless energy and enthusiasm. These experiences inspired Juan. It was then that he began to rethink his path. He had this intrinsic urgency to help these children. He realized that he had never had that experience anywhere else. Juan wanted to have a more personal and immediate impact on people’s lives.

“I decided that what I want is to go into the medical field so I can continue to positively affect people,” said Juan José.

Beyond MIT

Juan José graduates with the Class of 2016 this spring. With medical school down the road, he has accepted a position. He will work for a biotechnology company called Lyndra. The company is working on extending the delivery time for medications. This innovation will help people who lack regular access to medical professionals.

Juan José Jaramillo Montezco

“I think this is the best stepping stone into the medical field,” said Juan José. “I think it will fuel my drive to go into helping people out just the way I wanted to.”

After His Family’s Support, An Opportunity to Pay It Forward

Juan José hopes to provide financial support to his family. He wants to relieve some of the burdens from his father, who has been working construction for years. Since he was young, Juan was instilled with the idea that “family comes first.” His goal is to help his father take a rest and finally retire.

“I am really excited that I am in the process of going into industry,” said Juan José. “I can now help him (his father) out.”

Stay Curious and Positive

When Juan José was a child, his father encouraged him to read The Little Prince. The book describes the adventures of a young prince as he travels to different planets. Juan José finally read the book when he was 19. Juan saw himself in the prince, who is fascinated by everything he sees and everyone he meets. The book made Juan realize that he must always stay curious no matter where he is or what he is doing. He must remain excited about the world.

“Slowly, you can turn your passions into something negative. An obligation, almost, that’s not necessarily positive for you,” said Juan José. “I wanted to make sure that … I had this happiness in me … That I always stay positive.”

Congratulations, Juan José! … You make Aldine ISD proud!