Inspiration for film ‘Spare Parts’ takes center stage

Oscar Vazquez counts himself lucky.

At age 12, Vazquez left Mexico and arrived in the United States with his parents with no legal status. His knack for math helped him graduate from Arizona State University. Before embarking on a career with BNSF Railway, he was in the Army and served in Afghanistan.

But it is the story about his high school robotics team that most people know, thanks to the recently released movie Spare Parts.

“It’s very surreal,” Vazquez said of the movie in which he is played by Carlos PenaVega.

Spare Parts tells the story of Vazquez and three other Hispanic immigrant students from a high school robotics team in Phoenix. Although they had few resources, they were able to beat big name university teams — including MIT and Cornell — in a national competition in 2004.

“I think that is one of the best things that has come out of this story — the ability to influence people,” Vazquez told the Star-Telegram in a telephone interview.

Vazquez is currently a mechanical foreman for BNSF Railway in Glendive, Mont.

On Saturday, Vazquez will speak to area high school students about how leadership, hard work, perseverance — and the robotics team — helped shape his life. He will be Saturday’s featured speaker at the 16th Technology Awareness Day. The event is hosted by BNSF Railway and held at the company’s Fort Worth Technology Conference Center. More than 400 North Texas high school students were invited to attend the event that showcases science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and how these subjects touch the community in everyday life.

“I find a great importance in science because we see it everywhere. It’s ubiquitous,” said Jennifer Ochoa, a junior from Fort Worth Paschal High School, who is eager to participate in Technology Day for the first time.

Immersed in technology

At Texas Christian University, Fort Worth high school students participating in the Upward Bound program help each other with homework and college applications.

Across the nation, Upward Bound programs, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Education, provide extra support for high school students who want to go to college. Participants typically come from low income families in which the parents didn’t attend college. BNSF works with these programs to promote education.

Every February, students in area Upward Bound programs get invited to the annual Technology Awareness Day. While the event focuses on technology, it is not limited to students who want to focus on STEM subjects in college, organizers said.

“It exposes students to real life careers that have to do with math and science,” said Maura Bates, counselor coordinator TCU Upward Bound.

Mario Garcia, an 18-year-old Paschal senior, has been fascinated with math since the fourth grade. He said Technology Day showcases what is hot now and what the future holds for students interested in STEM.

“I found those really interesting,” said Garcia, who plans to study electrical or biological engineering. “You see technology — a wide variety it’s not just one type of technology — and how it comes into the real world. The math. The science. You see it there physically. You see real-world applications.”

Bates said students learn what types of careers exist for people who pursue STEM degrees. Students also get to interact with STEM professionals. As they immerse themselves in technology, they also meet role models, she said.

“It is a game changer,” Bates said. “They walk away with confidence and a sense that ‘somebody cares about me.’”

Hard work

Vazquez’s success story revolves around a series of hurdles and triumphs that resonate with young people.

Vazquez, 28, is a father of two children, ages 6 and 3. He has been married to his wife, Karla, for 10 years.

Like thousands of immigrants making headlines today, Vazquez was a so-called “Dreamer” because his family brought him to the United States with no legal status as a child. Vazquez was able to gain citizenship while serving in the military. His biography is well-known in Washington, D.C., where it has been shared on the Senate Floor by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill., while enlisting support for immigration reform.

Vazquez’s journey also exemplifies the importance of education. As a child, Vazquez liked taking things apart and putting them back together. He excelled in math.

During his senior year at Carl Hayden Community High School in Phoenix, Vazquez got involved in robotics. Vazquez said he was influenced by great teachers and armed with determination. Those resources helped Vazquez and his team compete in a national underwater robotics event.

When Carl Hayden won, its story drew headlines and inspired a documentary and later Spare Parts.

After graduating from high school, Vazquez earned a mechanical engineering degree from Arizona State. He then joined the U.S. Army, which had been his dream since the ninth grade when he watched the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers.

Vazquez said his advice to students is simple: “Keep working.”

This story was originally published February 20, 2015 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Inspiration for film ‘Spare Parts’ takes center stage."