When he walks across the stage Dec. 17, he will be equipped with more than a degree in civil engineering. He will have great memories, close friends and leadership skills to help him succeed in life.

“When I came I initially thought I was just going to study and get good grades and get out,” Bravo said. “It wasn’t until the end of my second year that I started getting more involved, and I started seeing how much passion I put in those things and how happy it made me to get involved. I really became more active and decided to do more than just study and more than get good grades.”

The catalyst for his transformation was the Georgia Tech study abroad program through the Office of International Education. In the spring of 2014, Bravo participated in the Pacific Program, studying in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

And more than breathtaking scenery and the thrill of scuba diving, Bravo came out of his shell because of his interaction with other students and program participants.

“It was the first time I got to step outside of my comfort zone,” Bravo said. “When I first got here, I only hung out with Hispanic students. The Pacific Program was the first time I had to get comfortable with speaking English all of the time.”

That comfort translated into being willing to show his “goofy” side and put himself out there by getting involved. He became a leader in the campus chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE,) eventually serving as president, and he worked as a leader in the freshman orientation program called FASET (Familiarization and Adaptation to the Surroundings and Environs of Tech).

“What I loved about it was that it was so much more than I expected. I only thought it would be an orientation program for incoming students, but it’s also an orientation for parents and guests. It’s a leadership program for me, and I got to see myself grow. I made awesome friends that summer.”

Bravo leveraged two summers of working as an intern at Turner Construction in Atlanta into a full-time job after graduation. He plans to make a return trip to the Pacific, a region where he jumpstarted his leadership training and embraced his potential as a mentor and guide for other students.

“I’m very happy with my experience. I’m very pleased with what I achieved with FASET and SHPE,” he said. “The diploma that I’m going to get says bachelor of science in civil engineering, but it’s more than just a title. It’s the memories and the friends that I made. That’s what it means.”