By Richard Zagrzecki
If the weather is nice and the mood strikes him, Eduardo Aleman-Robledo will hop on his bicycle and make the trek from his home to the University of Houston.
It’s not a simple trip – he lives about 10 miles away in Pasadena.
“It takes me about 40 minutes to get here. I find as long as I pay attention and follow all the traffic rules, it is usually pretty safe,” said Aleman-Robledo, a junior studying electrical power engineering technology.
He’s done it about 20 times since the start of the fall semester, his first at UH after transferring from Texas A&M University.
“I like biking a lot. Right after Thanksgiving, I rode 30 miles along the Brays Bayou trail,” he said.
A month ago, he was offered and accepted a part-time position as a student worker in Auxiliary Services. It’s a job he’s still learning, but one he likes. One of his main duties involves checking the many vending machines that inhabit buildings all across campus to ensure they are working and are properly stocked. With so many machines on campus, it took him a week just to familiarize himself with their locations.
When a student or employee reports that a machine is not working properly – such as not dispensing a product or providing change – then he assists them with getting a refund. If a machine is malfunctioning, then he contacts either Coca-Cola or Canteen, depending on whose machine it is, so that a service technician can come out and take a look at it.
When needed, he also fills in at the front desk area of the Auxiliary Services office in Suite 103 of University Lofts, fielding phone calls and assisting customers who come in person.
When he is not in class or at work, he likes to read about philosophy and theology. He is also starting to get involved with SETS – Succeed in Engineering Technology Scholars – an engineering technology program offered through the College of Technology.
His interest in pursuing a degree in electrical power engineering technology got its start earlier in his childhood.
“Ever since I was little, my dad liked to tinker around with computers and electronics. I liked watching him. He’d take things apart or mess with the software,” Aleman-Robledo said.
What does he like the most about UH?
“I like walking around campus a lot. I really like all the trees. It is a beautiful campus,” he said. “It is very peaceful and relaxing and a nice place to study. And the squirrels are extremely friendly.”