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CommentsMining for talented Hispanic engineers
Summer Sci-Tech Camp and SHPE Conference draws techies
Vanessa Gutierrez, a senior at the
And while serving her second year as a residential assistant at this month’s Sci-Tech Summer Camp (July 9-12 at Arizona State University), she says she not only serves as a role model to the Hispanic high school sophomores attending, but to their parents who come for the financial aid seminars held on the camp’s last day.
“When the campers see there are Hispanic college students in engineering, it inspires them,” says Gutierrez, the oldest of three siblings. “And the parents seem really happy to see it’s not too far-fetched for their kids to enroll here. Most have no idea how much money is out there for scholarships.”
The camp, for which participants pay just $10 for four days, is funded by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and contributing corporate sponsors.
Gutierrez is a member of UA’s on-campus SHPE chapter, one of the nation’s largest.
For SHPE’s new CEO, Enrique Gomez, the campus chapters and summer camps are just two of many much-needed steps forward in attracting Hispanic youth to engineering and the sciences, a trend which he says is much needed to sustain the country’s economic advantage.
“The Hispanic population is the youngest and fastest growing segment of the U.S population, but this growth is not reflected in scientific and technical professions. Hispanics comprised only 5.5 percent of the science and engineering workforce in 2006,” says Gomez, an executive on-loan from IBM.
“SHPE and its foundation are working to increase the number of Hispanics that complete college degrees in the scientific, technical, and engineering related fields. Our summer camps and our programs at the SHPE Conference are designed to inspire high school students to continue on to college and become engineers and scientists, and to help college students to excel in academics, graduate, and become successful professionals.”
Established in 1974, SHPE continues its early emphasis on preparing Hispanic youth for careers in engineering, science, technology and math.
Presented by the SHPE’s educational foundation, Advancing Hispanic Excellence in Technology, Engineering, Math and Science, the Sci-Tech camp allows the
SHPE continues its youth outreach year-round with its 230-plus college and university campus chapters, and by providing scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 – the latter with a grant from NASA that includes an internship.
“We have campus chapters nationwide, from Stanford and MIT to
The annual SHPE Conference, the largest technical and career conference for Hispanics in the country, attracts nearly 5,000 engineering professionals, students and corporative representatives.
An integral part of the four-day event is the SHPE’s Career Expo with more than 200 sponsoring companies, graduate schools and organizations hosting booths, and in some cases, interviewing attendees for jobs.
Leading corporations such as IBM, Draper Laboratory, 3M, Chevron, Bechtel, DuPont, Dell, Intel and Microsoft are among the dozens involved in SHPE’s Industrial PartnerSHPE Council.
Gutierrez, a graduate of
“We’re seeing more women and Hispanics taking the opportunity to pursue engineering,” she says. “I don’t find it too difficult – you just have to make sure your ideas are heard.”
For more information on SHPE opportunities for professionals and students, go to its Web site at: www.SHPE.org.
