Last year, as he closed out his senior year at TMCC High School, Eagle Scout Nick Coté (class of 2029) saw a problem and wanted to provide a solution. The fencing around the play area for one- to two-year-olds at St. Albert the Great Child Development Center did not meet the standards of the facility. It was too short, the bolts affixing it to the concrete had rusted, and it did not include privacy features. To address this problem, Coté hosted an event to raise the funds for the materials and, with Troop 7322, installed the fencing.
“More than anything, I love to help people,” Coté said.
Now a National Merit Scholar and a member of the Honors College pursuing a dual major in biomedical engineering and mathematics, Coté is looking to expand ways he can help people through his pursuit of frugal science. With its focus on cost-effective, scalable solutions in support of health and humanity, frugal science is, for Coté, an opportunity to marry his passion for engineering and creative problem solving, infused with a deep-seated desire to improve the lives of others.
“Frugal science allows us to use existing equipment in underserved and remote communities,” Coté explained. He cited examples that illustrate the level of creativity necessary to overcome cost and transportation challenges. “Imagine a paper centrifuge or a folding, origami microscope. Frugal science redesigns tools like these for use in remote areas in a cost-effective manner.”
Choosing Nevada
As a National Merit Scholar—a designation reserved for less than .5% of all incoming students nationwide—Coté had his pick of colleges, including a full-ride scholarship to UT Dallas. Understanding the importance of the choice he was making, Coté took a methodical approach to evaluating the options available to him. He identified two areas of greatest importance to him: Access to research opportunities and access to professors.
“I was impressed by how excited the professors were to meet with me. They weren’t trying to sell me. I wasn’t being fed a pitch,” Coté said. “They seemed genuinely committed to students who want to succeed.”
Based on those conversations, Coté “felt like there was no ceiling at the University.”
During his first semester Coté discovered first-hand the commitment of his professors. He enrolled in a math proof-writing class (Math 310) that challenged students to prove some of the core concepts in mathematics, like the existence of negative numbers. Coté struggled with the first exam, after which he worked closely with Assistant Professor Jonathan Beardsley.
“I was in his office two times a week until the end of the semester,” Coté said. “It was like having a part-time job.”
But the hard work paid off, as Coté earned a 96% on the final exam. Through that close interaction with Beardsley, Coté found a new focus for his studies and added mathematics as a second major.
Learning resilience
For Coté, mentorship is a two-way street. When he’s not receiving support himself, he serves as a math and physics tutor in the First-Generation Student Center. In the First-Gen Center, Coté noted the sense of community and extra support provided, citing financial literacy classes and graduate school application support as key benefits for first-generation students.
For students like Coté, the First-Gen Center also provides support in applying for research projects. Combined with Honors 399, a course on research writing, Coté is looking forward to the next opportunity to apply to perform research. As with his math course, his initial application was not accepted, but Coté remains undaunted.
“I have learned so much, including how to be resilient,” he said. “Failure is an opportunity and an indication that you should work harder, and I look forward to applying again.”
According to Coté, his drive is the result of his parents’ own dedication to excellence.
“My parents work in real estate, and I would see them taking calls at 9:30 at night and trying to get listings posted by midnight,” he explained. Inspired by their dedication, he added, “My personal initiative is a result of their work ethic.”
But it’s not all work for Coté. In addition to exploring the outdoors and distance running, Coté is an improvisational pianist who can be heard in the dorms or at the Church Fine Arts Building. A self-described “music-theory nerd,” he uses the piano to decompress when he’s stressed.
After touring other universities and eventually deciding Nevada was the best fit for him, Coté said, “I thought every university was going to feel like this university, but that isn’t the case.” Noting the accessibility and interest of his professors, Coté said, “If you want to succeed, there is no shortage of opportunities. The resources are here.”
He cited the Honors College as a particularly strong example of this ethos: “If you want to succeed and are willing to show up, you can do anything, and the Honors College is the embodiment of that.” From the mentorship program to the courses and excursions at the Lake Tahoe location, Coté said, “The opportunity is there if you show up.”
For Coté, taking advantage of those opportunities is the key to his success: “I just put in the work. That mindset can take you as far as you want to go.”