Program: Master's in Engineering Management and Leadership
Home Country: El Salvador
Universities: Universidad Don Bosco
Languages: Spanish and English

My name is Alejandro Canas, I'm 26, the youngest of three sons, born in El Salvador, Central America. Driven by a desire to excel and through academic effort, I earned an academic excellence scholarship for my Industrial Engineering studies. This opportunity also allowed me to enhance my community service by organizing fundraising activities for additional scholarship programs, providing academic support in mathematics at the engineering faculty, and serving on the review team for the chemistry textbook used by over 600 students each semester at the university.

I have four years of experience in continuous process improvement, including one year at a Salvadoran startup focused on home delivery services. The last three years, I've been involved in process management at a retail company with a presence in the Caribbean and Latin America region, providing opportunities for cultural exchange with local teams in different countries.

I love preparing and enjoying coffee-based beverages, exploring new places, and experiencing the cuisine of different cultures.

I consider myself an active listener, a curious person, passionate about nature and sciences and an active person in sports matters.

What I like most about Rice/Houston

At the moment I received the admission from Rice and MEML program I was so excited; and since day one I felt welcomed. Also the inclusive and diverse community that Rice has, make me feel eager to know more people. Regarding to Houston, I like the different hosting events such as: Houston Rodeo, NFL games, NBA Games; and also famous and interesting places like: Space Center Houston, Downtown Acquarium.

What I like most about Fulbright

The opportunity to connect with talented people from my country and around the world makes me feel that we can achieve great things and that together we can transform our environment. 

Furthermore, being part of a select group that strives for excellence and aspires to change the lives of others fills me with immense enthusiasm for all that we can accomplish as a Fulbrighter. 

In addition, the opportunity that Fulbright Program give us to know more about United States history and culture help us to improve our personal and professional skills to build a better future for own home countries.

Fun Fact about me

When I was 15 years old, I experienced what it's like to be chased by a bull.