College of Engineering News • Iowa State University

Mateo Rubel: Outstanding senior in agricultural engineering

Mateo Rubel, outstanding senior in agricultural engineering, poses for a photo in front of a red background.
Mateo Rubel, outstanding senior in agricultural engineering, poses for a photo in front of a red background.

Clubs and activities

ASABE, International Student Council 

Valuable hands-on learning in class

Capstone project: We winterized a mobile chicken coop where we used sensors, electronics, CAD, and 3D printing to ensure the chickens were healthy and warm at -10 degrees F which was very interesting and fun. 

Valuable out-of-the-classroom experience

Jazmin landscaping: I got burnt out after working for the whole academic year and having 18 credits per semester so I headed back home for the summer to see my family and relax. A week after coming home, I decided to start a landscaping and construction business, which ended up being a huge success and kept me busy during the summer. I learned a lot about marketing, selling, and customer relations, which is something I didn’t experience in either my classes or my other internships as I always worked for someone else. 

Most influential mentor

My most influential mentors are Dr. Sara McMillan from the ABE department and my advisors Ben McCarty and Lindsay Frueh.

Best memory/greatest accomplishment

My biggest accomplishments are that I became a well-rounded engineer with incredible job experiences, and that I adapted to a whole new culture and thrived. I leave Iowa State with a lot of friends, beautiful memories, and pride. 

Plans after graduation

I will work for the Iowa DNR in the flood mitigation program as a Water Resources Engineer.

Support from Engineering Career Services

I used Engineering Career Services many times throughout these past four years. They helped me to improve my resume and with decision-making regarding job and internship offers.

Making my mark on the world 

I want to work hard on helping to achieve a sustainable balance between economy, increasing population and environment so we can keep enjoying this beautiful country for years to come. 

Engineering like a Cyclone Engineer

When I think about my major, I really do think of it as my second home. I have been attending classes in Sukup Hall every day for four years, meeting with my friends and having difficult and great times together, talking to the teachers as they walked past me and cracking a joke or two. I also think about all the effort and creativeness that I have seen. I have been really impressed from the get-go at how dedicated, adaptable, smart and ingenious my fellow classmates are. Therefore, for me, “engineering like a Cyclone Engineer” stands for passion, effort, creativeness, dedication, and good will. 

What I’d tell my younger self about Iowa State

I came to the United States knowing very little English, unsure about my major, and unsure about my future. Although I was thousands of miles away from home, Iowa State gave me incredible friends and mentors who made me feel happy and supported. I am graduating this December, and I leave Iowa State with knowledge, opportunities, memories, friendships, and lifelong skills. Iowa State treated me amazingly and I couldn’t have imagined a better place to complete my undergraduate education.

How I chose my major

I applied to Iowa State while at was in Argentina during COVID. The education system is so different that I was unsure of what major I wanted to choose, and I decided to enroll in Ag Studies, which would give me a broad agricultural understanding for that first year while I figured out what was the best major for me. I switched to Agronomy on my second semester and interned as a Crop Scout in North Dakota for my freshman year internship. After working for the whole summer, I decided that I wanted to switch to Agricultural Engineering as I wanted to work with water resources in agricultural environments and stayed in the ABE major ever since. 

Most inspiring location on campus

Sukup Hall. This is the place where I made my first true friends in college, the place where I spent countless nights working until 1 or 2 a.m., and the place that watched me grow as a person and an engineer. 

Read more: 12 outstanding seniors, ready to make their mark

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