A Journey Across Numerous Industries [Pathways]

Abstract

Born in the Mexican city of Lázaro Cárdenas in the state of Michoacán, an industrial city and home of the largest seaport in Mexico as well as one of the largest seaports in the Pacific Ocean basin, Dante E. Barragan was exposed to industry and engineering at an early age. As a child, he was quite curious about how electric appliances and electronic devices worked. Barragan used to take apart videocassette recorders (VCRs) and tape rewinders as well as irons, fans, radios, and remote controls. His fervent curiosity was motivated simply by a desire to see the moving parts and understand how these appliances worked. Not only were there no engineers in his family, but also, he is the first-generation college graduate in his family. “Curiosity is something I always had in me, and I am grateful that my parents were very patient and supportive—despite the couple of times that I didn’t know how to put back together what I took apart,” he said. In addition to their continuous support of their son, Barragan’s parents have always been business oriented and had started several businesses throughout the years. Among the several businesses that his parents started was a stationery store. “When I was a teenager, I would sometimes fix the copiers and printers without waiting for the Xerox technician to show up because we had to keep serving our customers,” he recalled.