University of Florida unveils 4th generation HiPerGator AI supercomputer<\/a><\/p>\nThat is to say, this 2013 Gator engineering graduate is a reality TV star on \u201cBelow Deck,\u201d and his success \u2014 on TV and in his yacht-school business \u2014 is firmly anchored by the foundation he built at UF\u2019s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.<\/p>\n
Born in the Bronx and raised in Orlando, Ortega grew up in a household with roots in the Dominican Republic and Honduras. His parents, who immigrated to the United States in search of opportunity, instilled in him the importance of education and hard work.<\/p>\n
Drawn to math, science and problem-solving, Ortega chose UF\u2019s top-ranked engineering program without hesitation.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents always emphasized how important it was to go to college,\u201d Ortega said. \u201cI knew UF would offer me a high-quality education, so it was the only school I applied to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Between scholarships and working part-time jobs at a restaurant and as a lab assistant, Ortega paid his way through school. He spent long nights in Marston Library, joined friends for football tailgates and dove into hands-on engineering projects. His senior design project analyzed the failure of a race-car engine \u2014 a study that foreshadowed a career defined by curiosity and problem-solving.<\/p>\n
\u201cUF showed me how to juggle it all,\u201d Ortega said. \u201cFrom working to studying and hanging out with friends, I learned how to manage it all.\u201d<\/p>\n
To his college friend and fellow Gator engineer, Abhi Seeth, Ortega was always the one dreaming up the next big thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cHugo and I became friends instantly, and it\u2019s easy to see why,\u201d Seeth said. \u201cWhether it was a philosophical debate or talking through the next billion-dollar startup idea, Hugo always had a strong point of view and was never afraid to engage. That determination and self-belief is no doubt why he\u2019s been so successful in every environment, from materials research labs to sailing the high seas.\u201d<\/p>\n
After graduation, Ortega took a job in the oil and gas industry in Houston. But when the company was acquired, he found himself unemployed and unfulfilled.<\/p>\n
So he bought a one-way ticket to Eastern Europe and set off on a yearlong backpacking trip. Months later, while staying at a hostel in Thailand, he met someone who worked on a superyacht. Intrigued, Ortega began researching the industry. He soon completed his certifications and joined his first vessel.<\/p>\n
As he climbed the ranks from deckhand to captain, Ortega found the long days, complex systems and teamwork of superyachting reminded him of his UF days.<\/p>\n
\u201cCaptains aren\u2019t always mechanically inclined,\u201d he said. \u201cBut my background helped me have those technical conversations with the boat engineers and understand the systems beneath the surface.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the show\u2019s producers called in 2024, Ortega didn\u2019t think twice. After first applying during the pandemic, he was tapped mid-season to fill a bosun role. Thirty-six hours later, he was on a plane to join the cast.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d always wanted to be on TV as a kid,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I got the call, I jumped at the chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since premiering in 2013, \u201cBelow Deck\u201d has become one of Bravo\u2019s highest-rated franchises, drawing more than 1 million viewers per episode and inspiring multiple spin-offs. Joining the show thrust Ortega into a high-pressure crew dynamic in front of an audience of millions.<\/p>\n
In one episode, he clashed with a deckhand over teamwork; in another, a mechanical failure stranded the yacht at dock, forcing him to troubleshoot alongside engineers as guests grew restless. Then came Episode 15 \u2014 the night of the tenuous anchor drop \u2014 when he forgot to record his watch log, a serious oversight on a vessel that size.<\/p>\n
His recovery was swift and steady. By the end of the episode, Capt. Kerry praised his resilience and leadership. Ortega\u2019s real mission is Superyacht Sunday School, a mentorship platform he founded during the pandemic to make yachting more accessible to people without maritime backgrounds. The program has helped more than 300 aspiring \u201cyachties\u201d launch their own global careers, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I started, I didn\u2019t even know how to swim, so I know how intimidating this all can be,\u201d Ortega said. \u201cIf people knew how to do something, they\u2019d do it better. I just want to make the learning curve easier.\u201d<\/p>\n
He designed the program as an engineer: identify inefficiencies, standardize the process and create clear steps for certification and recruitment. Through social media, word of mouth and his \u201cBelow Deck\u201d visibility, Ortega\u2019s mentorship network has grown into an international community.<\/p>\n
In the end, the same mindset that helped him master materials now helps him master the tides. Guided by his UF education, Ortega proves that the tools of engineering can chart a course anywhere, even across the open sea.<\/p>\n
\u2014 This story was produced by Autumn Waks for the University of Florida’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Autumn Waks \u00a0|\u00a0 UF News University of Florida Unveils latest HiPerGator AI supercomputer UF’s HiPerGator 4.0 supercomputer, powered…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":279824,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[13716,182,228,236,13721,10725,16708,13710,4435,48539,88,622,2808,83201,10719,3729,13723,3,573,13470,13471,5573,23502,12856,26235,4196,13546,13717,74,92,23504,13692,8596,6671,20633],"class_list":["post-279823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-affiliate","tag-ai","tag-arts","tag-celebrities","tag-celebrities-u0026-entertainment-news","tag-colleges","tag-colleges-u0026-universities","tag-enabled","tag-engineering","tag-engineering-u0026-technology","tag-entertainment","tag-fl","tag-florida","tag-gainesville","tag-highlights","tag-local","tag-local-affiliate-arts-u0026-entertainment","tag-news","tag-of","tag-overall","tag-overall-positive","tag-positive","tag-programs","tag-reality","tag-reality-tv-shows","tag-shows","tag-story","tag-story-highlights-ai-enabled","tag-technology","tag-tv","tag-tv-shows-u0026-programs","tag-u0026","tag-universities","tag-university","tag-university-of-florida"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=279823"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279823\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/279824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=279823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=279823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=279823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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