Guillermo Fuentes Rosales
Chemical Engineering
Class of 2025
From San Pedro Carcha, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala
Guillermo Fuentes Rosales, a chemical engineer senior graduating this May, has used his four years at the University of Oklahoma to create opportunity and space for not only his classmates, but those who will come after. Not only does Guillermo hold the title of OU’s International Royalty, meaning he represents his community and country at OU, but he is a changemaker and campus leader through student organizations like the Society of Professional Engineers and Phi Iota Alpha, which he serves as vice president.
How have on-campus student organizations like your fraternity Phi Iota Alpha and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) influenced your growth while at OU?
These organizations have provided me with spaces where I feel much closer to my roots and traditions while also learning about the perspectives of those from my culture who grew up in the United States. SHPE has helped me in a professional context by recognizing my potential and overcoming imposter syndrome and guided me through professional development—everything from academic support to networking to exploring skills I didn’t know I had.
Before last year, I had never held a financial role until I became SHPE’s fundraising chair. I learned how the University worked, raised funds, and planned campaigns like the one executed on Giving Day, where we managed to increase our annual budget by more than 10%.
How do you balance your academic responsibilities with your leadership roles?
What helps maintain balance is not only determination and passion, but keeping your feet on the ground and identifying your priorities as well. Leadership is not about carrying the weight of an entire organization, it’s about delegating and recognizing your team’s strength and inspiring them toward a common goal. As students, our main goal is to graduate with a degree, and that is a top priority. To do this, we must take it one day at a time, be unafraid to fail, and most importantly, be able to recognize our limits and ask for help. All of this leads to having a support network to turn to, whether it’s friends, family, professors, mentors, or advisors who can offer perspectives during crises.
As a senior at OU, what was one of the most rewarding experiences you had?
Overall, it’s seeing people on campus interact and take an interest in others’ lives, stepping out of personal bubbles, and learning people’s stories. For example, at last year’s International Gala, where many people from non-international organizations attended to enjoy the dances and music of other countries. They had fun and they met people from unique backgrounds.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to attend the University of Oklahoma?
Explore. Create connections with as many people as you can to help with the transition into higher education. No one is ever fully prepared for change, but exploring the opportunities on campus offers you academic, social, and cultural support. You never know when you will need it. And finding these resources helps you, in turn, find your community—people who will share your passions and interests and have a relationship with that can last throughout OU and beyond.
As you approach graduation, what will your legacy be?
I see myself as an agent for change, unafraid of challenges and eager to explore. I hope to be a messenger of positivity and inspiration, encouraging others to pursue their dreams and to never doubt themselves because of theirs background, financial situation, heritage, or any other factor.
