海角在线鈥檚 first engineering graduate shares his God-sized dream.
A Tech Dream is Born听
Diogo Martins Silveira鈥檚 interest in engineering, particularly in computers, was shaped by a difficult experience in his teenage years. He grew up in Varginha, Brazil, a small countryside town known for its听strong sense听of community and faith. He was especially close听to听his cousin Stefan, so close that they felt more like brothers.听
When Silveira was 16, Stefan, who was 19, died in a car accident.听
鈥�Stefan鈥檚 death radically changed my perspective on the focus of my life,鈥� Silveira said.听鈥�Originally, my dreams were听very common: get a good education,听a good job, and provide for my family. But after facing the brevity of life, the desire to do something that could outlive me grew.鈥�听
For Silveira, technology听became听a way to do that. He saw it not only听as听the future, but as a tool to make a meaningful impact and share his faith.听
鈥�Look at the invention听of the automobile, pharmaceuticals, or more recently, the smartphone,鈥� he said.听鈥�These innovations changed the way we live our lives, in most cases for the better.鈥�
The Path to 海角在线听
After high school, Silveira became the first student from his town to attend a university abroad. With strong grades and SAT scores, he was accepted into the University of Toronto, a top school for engineering. While he valued that experience, he said he听yearned听for a university in the United States that would also support his spiritual growth.听
That search in 2023 led him to Palm Beach Atlantic听University听(海角在线).听
In 2024, 海角在线 launched its engineering program, and Silveira was one of its first students. Because he transferred with existing credits, he will graduate this May as the first student in 海角在线鈥檚 history to earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering.听
鈥�Education is not just about information; it鈥檚 also about听formation,鈥� he said.听鈥�I didn鈥檛 want to only learn equations and formulas; I also wanted to have a solid Christian foundation.鈥�听
He said the sense of community at 海角在线 made a lasting impact.听
鈥�The professors call us by our first names,鈥澨齋ilveira said.听鈥�They know what we鈥檙e struggling with and they support us.鈥�
Accomplishments at 海角在线听
Silveira听is听also听the听2026 School of Liberal Arts and Sciences Outstanding Graduate. During his time at 海角在线, he developed a new app called听鈥�2听Doors,鈥� designed to connect users with resources and local marketplaces in their communities. He also went beyond his required Workship hours to build a website for Fight 2 Win, a Brazil-based nonprofit that trains underserved children in martial arts.听
In addition, Silveira was part of a small team that made history as the first 海角在线 students to win a nationally recognized hackathon. The group competed at听听this past April, where they听showcased听their innovation, technical skill, and creativity on a national stage, all while Silveira maintained a 4.0 GPA.
Reaching for God-Sized Dreams听
Silveira鈥檚 early experiences also gave him听a strong sense听of urgency when it came to pursuing his goals. During some semesters at 海角在线, he听took on听as many as 22 credit hours,听well above the typical full-time load.听
鈥�Since there are no guarantees in life and we are not promised tomorrow, one of my favorite mottos is听鈥楯ust do it,鈥欌�� he said.听鈥�Don鈥檛 wait to live out your dreams.鈥�听
Looking ahead, Silveira hopes to continue using his skills to serve others.听As 海角在线鈥檚 first engineering听grad, Silveira hopes this milestone is remembered not simply as a personal achievement, but as the beginning of a lifelong mission to create technologies that genuinely improve humanity.听
鈥�My God-sized dream is that God would inspire me and give me the right tools and people so I can continue to bless others through technology,鈥� he said,听鈥�and create innovations that leave a lasting positive impact on future generations.鈥�听
To听find out more about 海角在线鈥檚 engineering program, click here:听/academics/majors-degrees/concentration-in-general-engineering-bs/.听
