Heber Pacheco Aragon

Heber Pacheco Aragon still remembers the first time something he built actually worked. It was a simple writing tracing game in JavaScript, but it changed how he saw his future.

“That was my first time creating an application that actually worked as I had initially planned,” he says. “The joy of having something I made be re-playable and available to others made me feel like I could continue on this path.”

A Grand Challenges Scholar, Pacheco earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science with a minor in mathematics from the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. He is a recipient of the New American University Scholarship and has been recognized on the dean’s list for his academic performance.

For Pacheco, choosing ASU came down to both opportunity and proximity. Growing up in Glendale, Arizona, he wanted to stay close to family while attending a strong engineering program. The size of the university also stood out, offering access to experiences he felt might not exist at a smaller school.

As he progressed through his degree, his understanding of computer science shifted. What he once thought was a solitary field became much more collaborative.

“It’s not just about locking yourself up and coding away,” he says. “It’s also making sure everyone on your team is on board and being able to present your work to people who may not be technical.”

He applied that mindset in several projects. In the Engineering Projects in Community Service program, or EPICS, he helped develop a mobile navigation app aimed at improving how first-year students find their way around campus. Earlier, he worked on an international project designing energy solutions for a primary school in Vietnam.

“Knowing that our design decisions potentially had direct implications for real children made this feel less like a class project and more like a responsibility,” he says.

Outside the classroom, Pacheco found community in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, or SHPE, where he served as treasurer and helped grow membership. He also gained industry experience as a software development engineering intern at GoDaddy.

Looking ahead, he hopes to build something of his own.

“I would love to go through the process of having a creation of mine grow into something bigger than me,” he says.

Favorites

Movie: Whiplash
TV: Hunter x Hunter
Sport: Mixed martial arts
Geeky possession: Kermit plush
Game: Brawl Stars

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ spring 2026 class.

Written by Aisha Kaddi