{"id":215236,"date":"2025-05-06T10:13:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T20:13:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=215236"},"modified":"2025-05-07T09:22:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T19:22:00","slug":"engineering-meets-finance-jonavan-gonzalez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/05\/06\/engineering-meets-finance-jonavan-gonzalez\/","title":{"rendered":"Engineering meets finance: UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa grad blends tech, business for the future"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"person
Jonavan Gonzalez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Jonavan Gonzalez walks across the Stan Sheriff Center stage on May 17, it will mark the culmination of a six-year journey—one that began at N\u0101n\u0101kuli High and Intermediate School and led to two degrees from the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa. After earning his bachelor\u2019s in mechanical engineering<\/a> in 2023, Gonzalez is now graduating with a master\u2019s in finance<\/a>, a rare academic combination that reflects his drive to blend technical innovation with business strategy.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s just an exciting time,” Gonzalez said. “I\u2019m looking forward to seeing where everything I\u2019ve learned takes me next—ideally at Disney, NASA<\/abbr> or SpaceX.”<\/p>\n

A journey shaped by inspiration, family<\/h2>\n
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Gonzalez helping student entrepreneurs in the Walter Dods, Jr<\/abbr>. RISE<\/abbr> Center makerspace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Born and raised in N\u0101n\u0101kuli, Gonzalez said his early aspirations were shaped by both his aspirations and his imagination.<\/p>\n

“Tony Stark, Iron Man, is like my idol and he’s also a mechanical engineer,” he said. “That was my main motivation for mechanical engineering. I knew I always wanted a higher education degree after high school, but I know it’s rare for N\u0101n\u0101kuli graduates to get their bachelor’s in engineering.”<\/p>\n

That perception shifted when Gonzalez\u2019s older brother pursued a civil engineering degree at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Watching him do it showed me that it was possible and that as long as I follow his footsteps, I\u2019ll be good,” Gonzalez said. “The degree is what I want, so why not go for it?”<\/p>\n

Bridging the gap: Engineering meets finance<\/h2>\n

He enrolled at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa in 2019 and dove headfirst into mechanical engineering.<\/p>\n

Meet more amazing UH<\/abbr> spring graduates<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

“I earned my undergrad degree in mechanical engineering because I\u2019ve loved solving complex problems and coming up with innovative solutions,” he explained. “But I realized I was also passionate about finance and business. I didn\u2019t want to quit engineering, and it was too late to get a minor in business, so I decided to get my master’s in finance.”<\/p>\n

Gonzalez sees his combined degrees as the perfect foundation for a future that blends technical expertise with business acumen.<\/p>\n

“With my double degrees, I\u2019m hoping to start in the workforce, whether at Disney, NASA<\/abbr> or SpaceX as a mechanical engineer, or at Disney, they call themselves ‘imagineers,’” he said. “And from there, I\u2019ll work my way up the corporate ladder to more business-related roles, elevating from product manager to executive roles in either finance or operations.”<\/p>\n

Mentoring the next generation<\/h2>\n
\"person
Gonzalez helping student entrepreneurs in the Walter Dods, Jr<\/abbr>. RISE<\/abbr> Center makerspace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At UH<\/abbr>, Gonzalez served as a PACE<\/abbr> Leader at the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship<\/a> in the Shidler College of Business<\/a>, mentoring fellow students on prototype design, product development and pitching. In 2024, he received the Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation Scholarship for RISE<\/abbr>, and in 2025, Gonzalez was a semifinalist in the UH<\/abbr> Venture Competition for his work on COCO, an AI<\/abbr>-powered app designed to reduce food waste.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019ve been with the program for about two years now. As a PACE<\/abbr> leader, I\u2019ve had the opportunity to mentor and support other students interested in entrepreneurship and innovation,” he said. “But most importantly, it\u2019s just the networking aspect of it all, especially as someone like me in my position living here at the Walter Dods, Jr<\/abbr>. RISE<\/abbr> Center. It\u2019s just so convenient and perfect.”<\/p>\n

Inspiration for the future<\/h2>\n

Despite his technical expertise and accomplishments, Gonzalez stays grounded in where he came from and offers advice for others in his community.<\/p>\n

“Especially for N\u0101n\u0101kuli or similar schools, it\u2019s not where you start. It doesn\u2019t define where you go, especially in your career,” he said. “If you put in the work, believe in yourself, you can achieve pretty much anything, and that includes higher education.”<\/p>\n

“UH<\/abbr> means so much to me. It\u2019s my local college. It’s where I grew up here personally and grew here professionally. My time at UH<\/abbr> Manoa gave me the foundation to chase my passions in engineering, finance, and leadership. Beyond academics, UH<\/abbr> gave me the community, lifelong connections and the confidence to take on bigger goals. It’s truly been a place that shaped who I am today.”<\/p>\n

—By Marc Arakaki<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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