Soccer is taking Fernando Carreon Garcia far from home. From youth academies in Mexico to Division I competition in Virginia, the sport opened doors that ultimately led him to George Mason University, where he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Systems and Industrial Engineering.
In his native Mexico, Garcia spent much of his childhood and adolescence immersed in elite soccer academies. At just 11 years old, he relocated to attend a residential academy affiliated with Pachuca, one of Mexico’s top professional clubs. Living away from home and training alongside other aspiring athletes taught him lessons that extended far beyond the game.
"It was such an experience," he said. "I got to meet a lot of people. There's 25 other players that are in the same situation, so you do make a lot of friends and get to experience a lot of different backgrounds and just gain a lot of experience."
Later, he spent two years with Club América’s academy system before moving abroad to play collegiate soccer in the United States. He began studying manufacturing engineering at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley before being recruited by George Mason.
"They have an amazing [soccer] program," Garcia said of George Mason. "Everyone's focused and everyone knows what the goals are."
His decision was influenced by more than athletics. Garcia found himself drawn to George Mason’s systems and industrial engineering program. The field aligned naturally with his curiosity about how organizations, processes, and technologies work together.
"I've always liked to know the 'behind' of a lot of things," Garcia said. "I'm just very curious about processes and how things work."
His curiosity helped him move from studying the dynamics of a team on the field to analyzing complex systems in the classroom. Today, Garcia is pursuing an aviation-focused technical emphasis and working on a capstone project sponsored by Chantilly Air. His team is developing an AI agent designed to assist with aviation certification procedures.
"I really like it a lot," Garcia said of the project. "I'm learning a lot of things that I think I would never experience if it wasn't for this capstone."
Balancing upper-level engineering courses with the demands of Division I athletics is not always easy, but Garcia credits a strong support system at George Mason for helping him stay on track. As he completes his final soccer season and prepares for graduation, he is making the most of his final year, appreciating the journey that soccer set in motion years ago. Looking back, he's reminded of advice he once heard from older players.
"It just goes by so quick," Garcia said.