Since childhood, Mateo Nuñez has been driven by curiosity, often asking questions and exploring the world around him. Fascinated by everyday objects, he enjoyed taking apart toys, examining electronics like his father’s desktop and investigating devices such as the USB modem that provides internet access.
What began as simple fascination would grow into a lifelong passion that would ultimately lead him to a career in technology.
In 2021, Nuñez was part of a program sponsored by the United States Embassy in Ecuador that helped him apply to colleges in the United States. While exploring his options, he found Fresno State and was drawn in by a scholarship opportunity specifically for Ecuadorian students. He was accepted and set off to begin his undergraduate studies, embarking on a new chapter far from his family in Ecuador.
“There’s been a very big transition in the last decade with how information is handled over the internet, and it needs to be protected from people who want to attack it,” Nuñez said. “Working with tech is interesting and fun for me, so I knew I wanted to go in that direction.”
Nuñez will reunite with family and celebrate his walk across the stage as a graduate of the computer science program with a minor in cybersecurity and a certificate of special study in advanced cybersecurity at the College of Science and Mathematics commencement ceremony from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, at the Save Mart Center.
During his freshman year at Fresno State, a scooter accident left him with a broken hip just weeks before finals. Despite pain and limited mobility, he remained committed to his studies.
The support he received from professors, classmates and the Fresno State International Office showed him the power of community and service. This experience reinforced his desire to find out how he could use his passion for technology to support others.
In 2024, Nuñez spent his summer as an information security intern at Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Politécnica, a credit union in Ecuador.
“Since the business was relatively new, there were a lot of things to do from scratch, like setting up networks and firewalls, and I was able to use my knowledge of tools like Wireshark and Packet Tracer because I used them in hands-on labs at Fresno State,” Nuñez said.
Through this internship, Nuñez said he boosted network security by cutting vulnerabilities by 20%, improved network performance by 30% and reduced unauthorized access by 20%. He also helped update the Disaster Recovery Plan, lowering downtime risk by 10% and aligning it with best practices.
In January, Nuñez entered a new role as network and IT infrastructure intern at Valley Children’s Hospital.
“When we think about health care, we think about doctors and nurses, but there’s also the technology side of it,” Nuñez said. “Medical records are now handled online, and medical devices and computers need to be maintained, so health care and technology must work together.”
In this role, Nuñez helped strengthen network security by assisting in configuring VPNs and secure authentication methods. He helped improve efficiency in system monitoring by supporting scripting tasks, automating routine processes and contributing to enhanced vulnerability detection.
By shadowing network engineers, he contributed to network optimization by analyzing traffic, identifying patterns and anomalies, and supporting the configuration of routers and switches to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.
“I find value in what I do, and it feels great to make an impact on the largest pediatric hospital in the Central Valley through my work on the back end,” Nuñez said.
Nuñez also spent three years in a part-time role as a student assistant for the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Fresno State. During his tenure, he has streamlined several office procedures and has been instrumental in organizing extensive data using Excel .
He updated student records, processed paperwork, maintained the department website and provided support to campus stakeholders. Over the past year, he helped students who needed to access class forms or change their major.
“I wish Mateo all good things in his life because he has worked hard to earn and deserve the respect that he garners from others,” said Dr. Bernadette Muscat, dean of Undergraduate Studies. “He is an amazing young man, and I have every confidence that he will use his computer skills in cybersecurity in positive ways that will be impactful locally and globally. I trust that he will continue to give back to his community and will help and mentor others.”
Nuñez was an active member of multiple student organizations, including the Fresno State Computer Science Club and the Society of Hispanic Engineers.
He also presented about Ecuador during Fresno State’s International Coffee Hour, sharing cultural insights and engaging students in enriching cross-cultural discussions and experiences.
Nuñez intends to work for a few years to gain professional experience before pursuing a master’s degree in cybersecurity.
“I’m going to miss those days here at Fresno State, from being a student, participating in events and connecting or just hanging out the library,” Nuñez said. “But at the same time, I know that something bigger is coming, and what I’ve been doing has helped to shape who I am right now and what I want to do in the future.”
