UT San Antonio Fall 2025 Commencement ceremonies are Dec. 15. This story is one in a series about the university’s outstanding graduates.
Shortly after starting his first semester at UT San Antonio, Isaiah Goad was working two jobs while also working toward his academic goals.
Though challenging, it was the kind of support he felt lucky to have following a devastating loss.
In December, Goad graduates with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical and computer engineering and a minor in mathematics — the fruits of drive and perseverance — with his mother and other family cheering him on.
The Fort Worth-born Goad attended Northwest Vista College, earning an associate’s degree before transferring to UT San Antonio. Goad chose the university over others, he said, for the sense of community and the student organizations like the Power and Energy Society.
The university also kept him close to home and family in San Antonio — for a time.
“Whenever I got into UTSA in Fall 2023, only shortly after, my dad passed away,” Goad said. “That caused a lot of financial difficulties.” His mother later moved to Austin for a job.
But Goad was determined to make it on his own, seeking financial aid before landing a research job that paid a stipend, “which was really cool,” he said.
Goad’s path to electrical engineering started many years before. As one of five children, “sometimes the household was chaotic,” he said. To find solace, he buried his nose in an old book he found, published by NASA.
“I was so young, so I didn’t really know what it was,” but the topic of thermodynamics captured his interest. So he got more books from the library, including some on rocketry. Later, when a friend needed help in math, Goad realized his own skill in the subject.
No sooner had Goad enrolled at UT San Antonio than he joined several academic clubs, took on leadership roles and taught workshops for other students. He also pursued research opportunities with faculty — the biggest contributor, he said, to landing a job with the semiconductor manufacturer Texas Instruments after graduation.
They love to see [the involvement], because some of these jobs are customer-facing,” Goad said. “They want to see that you have leadership experience and to know that you can speak to customers.”
Goad praised the support of Wei-Ming Lin, professor of electrical and computer engineering, “who recognized my potential and drive,” and Engineering Professor Eric Ortega, “whose guidance has been foundational to my career. He also said Professors Johnathan Votion and August Allo, pushed him to excel, “and helped me realize what I’m capable of.”
At commencement, Goad said his mother will be there to celebrate his accomplishment along with his brothers, a sister, brother-in-law, two nephews and a niece.
But it was his father, a man who never attended high school, who most pushed him to attend college. “He was like, ‘No matter what … keep pursuing higher education,’” Goad said. “He was very passionate about that.
At Texas Instruments, Goad will work as a product engineer in analog chain sensing and will rotate through three roles to broaden his expertise. Goad said he also plans to work toward a master’s degree to expand his knowledge of embedded systems, computer architecture and machine learning.
