Julian Alarcon

A die-hard FIU football fan who hasn’t missed a single season, Julian Alarcon not only supports student-athletes, but also supports the success of tech students.

Julian’s mother, Clara, migrated from Colombia 19 years ago and a few years later brought her son to the United States for a better future. Within two months of starting at FIU, Julian was hired as an IT specialist for the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work. Through his involvement in Greek life, he met Jose Maldonado, a former Worlds Ahead graduate. Jose introduced Julian to FIU’s chapter of Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE), a student technology organization.

As director of UPE’s Advance Program, Julian’s mission was to provide students with all the resources they needed to succeed in the workforce. As a liaison between the College of Engineering & Computing’s career services team and students, Julian helped more than 100 students land jobs and internships. His determination and hard work helped UPE grow from 100 members to 500 and receive more than $100,000 in sponsorship money from top tech companies like Amazon, Google and Microsoft.

Julian was also a founding member of UPE’s SparkDev program, through which students work on projects that include virtual reality and artificial intelligence. Julian also served as deputy chief of staff for FIU’s Student Government Association, playing a key role in improving campus transportation options for students.

After graduation, Julian will join Google’s Information Technology Residency Program in Mountain View, California.

By Diana Hernandez-Alende
Account Manager
College of Engineering & Computing