Balancing MSE With Sport And Music

When MSE undergrad Justin Palacios first came to the University of Arizona, he planned to keep busy balancing music and engineering. But when he fell in love with fencing his freshman year, he found a way to fit that into his schedule as well. 

“It’s a great physical and mental sport that allows you to be you. You can be expressive in how you fence,” Palacios said.

Palacios is grateful he’s had the time to pursue both interests in addition to his studies. He chose the UArizona because he felt a sense of belonging and because he was impressed with the faculty, who have lived up to his expectations.

“They don’t just regurgitate knowledge and hope we absorb it. You can tell a lot of the professors care about how they teach us information, and they’re invested in us succeeding,” Palacios said.

Now a senior, Palacios served as president of the Wildcat Fencing Club for two years and has competed at the national level. He also plays violin in the UA Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Palacios is looking forward to beginning graduate-level courses in his senior year as the launchpad to an accelerated master’s degree in MSE.