PBA’s first engineering graduate shares his God-sized dream.
A Tech Dream is Born
Diogo Martins Silveira’s interest in engineering, particularly in computers, was shaped by a difficult experience in his teenage years. He grew up in Varginha, Brazil, a small countryside town known for its strong sense of community and faith. He was especially close to his cousin Stefan, so close that they felt more like brothers.
When Silveira was 16, Stefan, who was 19, died in a car accident.
“Stefan’s death radically changed my perspective on the focus of my life,” Silveira said. “Originally, my dreams were very common: get a good education, a good job, and provide for my family. But after facing the brevity of life, the desire to do something that could outlive me grew.”
For Silveira, technology became a way to do that. He saw it not only as the future, but as a tool to make a meaningful impact and share his faith.
“Look at the invention of the automobile, pharmaceuticals, or more recently, the smartphone,” he said. “These innovations changed the way we live our lives, in most cases for the better.”
The Path to PBA
After high school, Silveira became the first student from his town to attend a university abroad. With strong grades and SAT scores, he was accepted into the University of Toronto, a top school for engineering. While he valued that experience, he said he yearned for a university in the United States that would also support his spiritual growth.
That search in 2023 led him to Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA).
In 2024, PBA launched its engineering program, and Silveira was one of its first students. Because he transferred with existing credits, he will graduate this May as the first student in PBA’s history to earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering.
“Education is not just about information; it’s also about formation,” he said. “I didn’t want to only learn equations and formulas; I also wanted to have a solid Christian foundation.”
He said the sense of community at PBA made a lasting impact.
“The professors call us by our first names,” Silveira said. “They know what we’re struggling with and they support us.”
Accomplishments at PBA
Silveira is also the 2026 School of Liberal Arts and Sciences Outstanding Graduate. During his time at PBA, he developed a new app called “2 Doors,” designed to connect users with resources and local marketplaces in their communities. He also went beyond his required Workship hours to build a website for Fight 2 Win, a Brazil-based nonprofit that trains underserved children in martial arts.
In addition, Silveira was part of a small team that made history as the first PBA students to win a nationally recognized hackathon. The group competed at HackaBull this past April, where they showcased their innovation, technical skill, and creativity on a national stage, all while Silveira maintained a 4.0 GPA.
Reaching for God-Sized Dreams
Silveira’s early experiences also gave him a strong sense of urgency when it came to pursuing his goals. During some semesters at PBA, he took on as many as 22 credit hours, well above the typical full-time load.
“Since there are no guarantees in life and we are not promised tomorrow, one of my favorite mottos is ‘Just do it,’” he said. “Don’t wait to live out your dreams.”
Looking ahead, Silveira hopes to continue using his skills to serve others. As PBA’s first engineering grad, Silveira hopes this milestone is remembered not simply as a personal achievement, but as the beginning of a lifelong mission to create technologies that genuinely improve humanity.
“My God-sized dream is that God would inspire me and give me the right tools and people so I can continue to bless others through technology,” he said, “and create innovations that leave a lasting positive impact on future generations.”
To find out more about PBA’s engineering program, click here: https://www.pba.edu/academics/majors-degrees/concentration-in-general-engineering-bs/.
