From FIU to American Express: Computing grad talks path to success

Javier Salgueiro is that rare blend of technical skill and interpersonal warmth — a software engineer who both speaks Python and builds meaningful connections with colleagues, clients and friends. He is also one of a number of recent graduates from FIU’s Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences who have successfully made the transition from student to working professional in the highly competitive FinTech industry.

“I’m really passionate about my work. Once I like something, I can think for hours about it. But I also feel that I’m not the typical software engineer who is coding all day. I love to hear and discuss other people’s ideas,” he says. “I feel like I try to listen to everybody and be kind of a middle man between everyone.”

Salgueiro, who graduated from FIU with a B.S. in computer science in 2024, now works as a software engineer at American Express. He’s also co-owner and chief technology officer of Legacy Boats, providing boat rentals for visitors and South Florida residents who love to get out on the water.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Salgueiro, who came from Venezuela to the U.S. as a 16-year-old with his parents and younger brother. After high school, he studied computer science at Broward College, often working three jobs at a time to make ends meet and help his family. That meant attending college part-time and, on occasion, dropping a semester to earn enough money to go back to school.

After two years at Broward College, Salgueiro came to FIU, where he particularly enjoyed courses in machine learning and artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction and blockchain.

“The professors who taught those classes, Richard Whittaker, Gregory Murad Reis and Kianoosh Boroojeni, really made an impact on me. They inspired me to pursue projects outside of class, they taught me how to tackle complexity head-on and they helped me develop skills that contributed to my securing an internship and launching my career.”

Whittaker, an associate teaching professor at the Knight School, says Salgueiro consistently demonstrated strong leadership potential. “Javier’s dedication to learning and his collaborative spirit made him a valuable presence in the classroom,” he states.

As the FinTech market continues to grow, FIU’s ability to prepare students for the industry includes real-world scenarios experienced in and out of the classroom, Salgueiro says. Particularly valuable, he adds, was his involvement in clubs and events offered through FIU.

“Participating in these organizations was one of my biggest game-changers in college,” he says. “They provided skills and opportunities that opened doors for me, and I would encourage everyone at FIU to get involved.”

Through CodePath, a longtime partner of FIU, Salgueiro was able to explore branches of software engineering and computer science that interested him, helping him narrow in on a focus for his career. Through the nonprofit student organization INIT and groups within the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, he learned new technologies and developed interviewing and presentation skills. This led to an internship with American Express in the summer of 2023 and was the stepping stone to his fulltime job upon graduation.

Today at American Express, he is working on a project to better connect business and corporate card holders to their personal accounts. “Right now you have to access everything separately,” he says. “One of the things I’ve really liked about starting my career here is that I can see both the business and technology side.” He also plays on the corporate soccer team and enjoys other outdoor sports like pickleball and boating.

And, coming from a close-knit family, he likes being nearby. “Getting my college degree, and paying for it, was a significant milestone in my life,” he says. “Helping my family and getting myself through college with no debt meant the world to me. I’m very happy and proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

Salgueiro’s brother, Luis, is a student at Broward College. He plans to become a Panther soon and will study mechanical engineering.

The future for Salgueiro is bright, even if he’s not sure what is in store for him. “I don’t see myself coding for the next 10 years. I’m still exploring what I could be doing and I don’t feel any pressure because I still have a lot of work to do from a technology perspective. When the time comes, I’ll be ready to sail, whether that’s being in a managerial role or running my own business.”