Jose Rivas began his career as a mechanical engineer for Boeing Space Systems. Wanting to give back to his community, he was elected as the youngest board member in the Lennox School District where he helped in forming the Lennox Math, Science and Technology Academy. He eventually transitioned from the engineering world and became a physics teacher at Roosevelt High School in East Los Angeles. 13 years later, he is working at Lennox Academy where he focuses on real world hands-on learning through his engineering and physics courses. In 2016, he was awarded the Northrop Engineering Education Excellence Award and in 2015 the Shell Science Teacher of the Year award.