At the Alumni Spotlight on July 23, Louis Delgado, Ph.D., challenged students to think about their career path and set goals early in order to achieve the level of success they desire. He shared the four stages of professional careers – Apprentice, Colleague, Mentor, and Sponsor – along with the rewards and difficulties that come at each stage.

His number one piece of advice was, “set a goal to be happy.” He noted that all four stages of professional careers make important contributions, but the challenge is to find the path that is right for you.

Delgado retired from ExxonMobil after 37 years of service and continues to consult as an instructor for the Safety/Health/Environment Leadership Academy, which provides a weeklong leadership development class for all new operating supervisors in ExxonMobil Refining/Midstream/Upstream/Chemicals.

Delgado is a Gator through and through. He is the son of two UF alumni and is also married to a UF alumna. He was awarded the BSChE Summa Cum Laude from UF and the PhD ChE from the University of Minnesota.