Engineering students Xavier Cano and Morolake Kuyeti have to hit the books just as hard as any student to achieve academic successes such as the Dean’s List, but it is their colossal involvement in other campus activities that make them extraordinary Cougars. Cano, a senior industrial engineering major, was crowned homecoming king, and Kuyeti, who is majoring in industrial engineering with a concentration on distribution logistics, was honored with a nomination to the homecoming court.
Cano, who said he seeks to combine a creative and analytical strength for a position of leadership, is undergoing a minor in music performance as a flutist. His extensive musical background, which includes teaching younger students and performing in high school and college events, is one of the things he chose to highlight.
“You should also note all of the things that make you unique and separate you from everyone else,” Cano said. “Taking that extra step to do something a little bit better definitely gets noticed.”
Taking an initiative is what helped Kuyeti, who is the National Society of Black Engineers’ Finance Chair, claim her place on the homecoming court.
“Last year I was nominated by the Nigerian Student Association for homecoming queen,” Kuyeti said. “I went past the interview stage, stage 2, but I wasn’t selected for homecoming court. This year I was too chicken to ask any organization to nominate me. The opportunity is there to nominate yourself, so why don’t you just go ahead and do it.”
The prior experience in running for homecoming queen was beneficial and crucial to her success, Kuyeti said.
“With the experience from the previous year I kind of knew what to expect as far as the interviews and what type of questions they might ask,” Kuyeti said. “So I was more confident and more aware of what they wanted, and finally, I made court. That was the best experience.”
The Hispanic Student Association, an organization for which Cano serves as president, nominated Cano for homecoming king. During the course of his Cougar career, he has merged academics, community service and university spirit through four years on the Dean’s List and honors such as Outstanding Junior in the Cullen College of Engineering and the Brother of the Year award in his fraternity, Sigma Lambda Beta.
“I think it’s important to have other interests because going to school for four years and focusing on one major, you learn a lot,” Cano said. “But when you increase the scope of the things you do, it makes you a more well-rounded person. It allows you to meet different people, have different experiences, and by the time you graduate, you will not only have a strong sense of your major but other things in life.”
| Morolake Kuyeti |
While Kuyeti is busy acting as The Society of Women Engineers Ambassador for the Cullen College of Engineering Team, she is also completing a minor in both Mathematics and African American Studies, which plays to her love of diversity and culture. The desire to learn in an ethnically diverse setting is what brought her to the University of Houston.
The mix of technology and liberal arts and the way in which the school embraced all cultures and ethnicities encouraged her to become a Cougar.
“I’m a big advocate of diversity because you will need that when you get into the work field,” Kuyeti said. “You will need to know how to communicate and work with people of all different backgrounds.”