Zaid Esteban Cazares Camarillo
Graduate Spotlight: Zaid Esteban Cazares Camarillo
A Journey of Resilience, Belonging, and Hope
Class of 2025- Bachelor鈥檚 In Petroleum & Natural Gas Engineering
From the border city of Juarez, Mexico, to the halls of 色狐入口 Tech, Zaid Cazares鈥� journey has been anything but ordinary.
When Zaid was just five years old, his mother brought him and his two siblings to the United States. They crossed the border with no English, no resources, and no safety net. She sold fruit cups at construction sites and cleaned hotel rooms to give her children a shot at a better life.
That dream is now a reality.
Zaid is graduating with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in petroleum and natural gas engineering from 色狐入口 Tech. But his story is about so much more than a degree. It is about perseverance in the face of invisibility. It is about holding on to hope when the path forward feels uncertain.
Growing up undocumented, Zaid carried a quiet weight. He watched opportunities slip by: internships he couldn鈥檛 take, jobs he couldn鈥檛 apply for, even simple travel he had to forgo. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like having this invisible weight,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou play it off, but it鈥檚 always there.鈥�
Even so, he kept going. At 15, he started working to help his family. He put school on hold for a time, but something in him was always drawn to more. When he attended 色狐入口 Tech鈥檚 orientation, a message stuck with him: Come to Tech and change the world. He saved those words in his phone next to a picture of the NMT logo, a daily reminder of the life he was building.
He transferred from CNM to Tech, arriving alone, a little older than most students, and still carrying the uncertainty of his legal status. But once here, he found purpose and community. He joined student government, revived the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), and founded the Hispanic Student Association (HSA) to build a sense of culture and connection on campus.
Through those organizations, Zaid brought D铆a de los Muertos celebrations to Tech, took students to national conferences, and even launched a scholarship for undocumented students called Dreamers Without Borders. With support from SGA President Elijah and funding from the student emergency fund, Zaid secured $36,000 to help students like him, those left out of traditional financial aid. 鈥淚 just hope it helps someone believe they belong here,鈥� he said.
He also received the NW Peace Scholarship, created by alum Johnny Walker, which awarded him over $8,000 during the 2024鈥�2025 academic year. For Zaid, that support was not only financial. It was a powerful reminder that people believed in his potential and wanted to invest in his future.
And all of this while balancing academics, financial stress, and the ongoing uncertainty of his immigration status. He wasn鈥檛 eligible for paid internships. He had to find creative ways to make ends meet. His future still depends on a pending visa.
But Zaid didn鈥檛 let any of that stop him.
He found support in faculty like Dr. Sajjad Esmaeilpour (Instructor Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering), who offered more than academic guidance. He showed Zaid that someone was in his corner. 鈥淗e knew my situation and just said, 鈥榃hatever you need, I鈥檓 here.鈥� That meant the world.鈥�
Dr. Matthew Johnson (Assistant Professor of Spanish and Hispanic Studies) and Dr. Becci Spruill (Assistant Professor of Creative and Fine Arts) were also early champions of his ideas. When he was launching HSA and worried no one would come to the first meeting, they encouraged him to go for it. Nearly 50 people showed up. It was one of many moments that reminded Zaid he belonged at Tech.
His presence has left a lasting impression. He brought people together, led with compassion, and created space for voices that are often unheard. 鈥淚 hope I made a little difference while I was here,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat was my goal, to help other students like myself see that it鈥檚 possible.鈥�
When asked what advice he鈥檇 give to new students, he didn鈥檛 hesitate. Try everything. Join the clubs. Ask for help. Don鈥檛 beat yourself up. His message is simple but powerful. Resilience, community, and joy can carry you farther than you think.
鈥淚 may not have had every opportunity,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut I made the most of the ones I did. And I found a family here.鈥�
Now, as he looks ahead, waiting on his visa, planning to work, and hoping to return for graduate school, Zaid is filled with gratitude. He speaks with deep love for his mom, whose sacrifices made everything possible. 鈥淪he gave everything,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he made this life for us.鈥� He also credits his siblings, who walked the journey with him, his stepdad, and the Tech faculty and friends who believed in him when it counted most.
Zaid came to Tech for a degree. What he found was a home and the power to change lives.
Congratulations, Zaid Cazares. Welcome to the alumni family. Your story is now part of Tech鈥檚 story and it will inspire others for years to come.