Gabriel's decision to pursue the DSO Scholarship was driven by a passion for engineering. "Working in DSO has allowed me to satisfy my engineering 'itch' and given me fulfilment from a career perspective. Thus, when the time came to develop myself further, I wanted to do so in a way that would potentially benefit DSO," he explains.

His research area is on Navigation, which he enjoys for both its military and civilian applications.

Currently six months into his PhD study at Stanford University in California, the United States (US), he says he is awed by the technical minds and luminaries that surround him. "Stanford's Physics and Aeronautics & Astronautics Departments are heavily involved in NASA's experiments, while the university has always been placed consistently among the top for the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge. I've always known that I develop better as a small fish in a big pond, so here I am!" Gabriel quips.

The school's humanitarian bent has also had an impact on him. In past months, Gabriel recalls Stanford hosting numerous influential personalities, from political leaders such as Spain's Basque Country President Juan Jose Ibarretxe and former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, to cultural icons such as Oprah Winfrey and Salman Rushdie. "I am constantly reminded that my technical expertise needs to be at the service of humankind, otherwise it's probably useless."

Adapting to life in the US has been easier for Gabriel this time around, as it is his second time studying there. There are however, some things he still has to get used to: "Even now, when my American schoolmates speak quickly, I tend to lose them due to their accents."

Thus far, his campus interactions have been richly rewarding, and he shares: "There's certainly diversity on campus, and lots of room for unconventional people and thinking." He also finds himself drawn to like-minded faculty members, whom he respects for the same passion for research that he has. "If it were even possible, one 50-year-old professor seemed to be even more animated and passionate for his work than when I last saw him 10 years ago. I certainly hope I will have that sparkle in my eyes when I talk about my work 20 to 30 years from now."

Currently in the midst of finalising his PhD research thrusts, Gabriel has huge dreams for the future. "My goal is to hopefully grow and develop into a bigger fish in the Stanford pond than I am now!" he says excitedly.