Aguayo makes music center stage
Music has been part of one San Jacinto College student’s world since he first picked up a guitar at 15.
Justin Aguayo — who goes by FuZ, short for his stage name, The FuZaBeast — made the audio engineering certificate program at the Central Campus the next step in his career journey.
“I'm a disabled Iraq war veteran, served from 2006 to 2010, including a tour in Iraq from 2008 to 2009, and I’m the son of a Marine,” he said. “I was actually studying music composition right before I joined the Army. I signed up partly for the college money. Then my time in service threw me for a definitive, death-defying loop.”
He earned a bachelor’s degree in health and wellness and a master’s degree in public health. After many years away from music education, he is finally back to where it all started.
Full circle at San Jac
An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, FuZ focused on the recording side of the craft for the last three years, even hiring a studio engineer for private lessons.
“Today, I'm the producer, or what I call the 'sonic architect,' for two projects: In The Shadows, a gothic darkwave/synthwave band that was recently signed to an indie label, and Scarlett Nightfall, a vampiric symphonic metal act,” he said. “I mix and master roughly 95% of the 30-plus tracks my two projects have released, and I record out of my own studio on the second floor of the Band Barracks.”
But FuZ still had more to learn — “the theory, the signal flow, and the hands-on studio experience” he’ll need to become a better producer and make music of the highest caliber.
That goal led him to San Jac.
The first time I walked into the multimillion-dollar studio at the Central Campus and saw so many knobs and buttons to play with, that decision was confirmed. San Jac was also the right fit because of its strong veteran community and resources and the flexibility to fit school around my music career.
FuZ started in fall 2026 with professor Brandon De La Garza’s commercial music software class and Engineering I with professor Les Williams.
The flexible schedule has allowed him to fit other valuable experiences into his class days, such as having lunch in the veteran services office, where the staff always greets him with a smile.
“I love that they do Buddy Check Wednesdays, exactly the kind of thing that keeps veterans connected to each other, not just to the office,” he said. “Then I head over to the campus gym and get a nice pump in before class.”
Overcoming challenges
FuZ lives with anxiety and agoraphobia. Having a set routine is imperative. He believes showing up is half the battle, and San Jac has made it easy to keep doing so.
“When I deployed to Iraq, I actually took a guitar and a keyboard with me, and I'd sit around with fellow soldiers, playing for whoever would listen,” he said. “I didn't know it yet, but those instruments were going to save my life. When I came home, I carried PTSD, anxiety, and agoraphobia for years. Simply walking out my front door felt impossible.”
He credits care at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, along with music and fitness, as steppingstones for moving forward.
Set to graduate in 2027, FuZ has bigger plans for his music.
Today, he gives back through Stay Tuned For Vets, teaching guitar to veterans with PTSD, with plans to eventually offer songwriting classes, free studio time, and audio production. He also performs biweekly at the Houston VA.
“If I can offer only a few moments of distraction and bring joy to a VA patient's face for even an instant, I am truly honored,” he said. “Music speaks where words can't.”
Music opened the door for healing, and he plans to use everything he learned at San Jac to do the same for others.
“The thing I feel is most important to share is that treatment works,” he said. “I want other veterans to know that whatever you're carrying, you can fight your way through it and have a happy life.”
About San Jacinto College Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today,
and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris
County, Texas, since 1961. The College is ranked second in the nation among more than
1,100 community colleges, as designated by the Aspen Institute and was named an Achieving
the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020 and 2026. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution
that spans five campuses, plus an online college, San Jacinto College serves approximately
45,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and
certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer
to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. The College is fiscally sound, holding
bond ratings of AA+ by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s. San Jacinto College is
accredited by the The Commission on Colleges and Universities.
