The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, SHPE for short, is the largest association in the United States for Hispanics in STEM. It has chapters nationwide, all with one mission: empower Hispanics to each their fullest potential through volunteering, mentorship and workshops, amongst other events.

In the time I've been a member of SHPE, the Texas A&M chapter was awarded the "National Large Chapter of the Year" at the 2019 National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition, I've been involved in the MentorSHPE program, where an underclassmen is paired up with an upperclassmen. There are monthly challenges that must be completed as a pair, and at the end of the academic year, awards are given out to the best pair in different areas. Being a part of this organization has also given me the chance to participate in multiple volunteering, social events, and workshops that have helped me grow academically, professionally, and personally.

Volunteer events I have been a part of with SHPE include the Texas A&M’s Big Event, an event where majority of the student body gathers to help people in the Bryan/College Station area through gardening, home maintenance, among other tasks. Furthermore, I volunteered in an event called Envision, where SHPE organized activities for high school students put to the test their designing and teamwork skills. Volunteers helped organize these activities and judged their creations. With SHPE I also volunteered at the Fiestas Patrias celebration in our community of Bryan, where we helped local business by setting up tents and direct the flow of traffic amongst other activities.

As the Director of Public Relations, I designed a cohesive social media feed leading to an increase of interactions by over 30% and record high number of impressions across different platforms. I was also recognized as a Certified Chapter Leader by SHPE National after attending the National Institute for Leadership Advancement which enhanced leadership, networking, and planning skills. Lastly, I delegated a committee with meaningful tasks to improve their leadership and technical skills.

Lastly, some of my best work for this organization has come from joining the Technical Affairs Committee. I've been part of this committee since January 2019 and since then, I've been involved in multiple projects. I aided in the process of the creation of the new TAMU SHPE website through front-end web development and basic brainstorming. I took great interest in the process of building my own website which lead me to applying and obtaining the Personal Website Lead position, where I oversee and mentor 25 members into creating their own personal website. In addition, I worked alongside 5 other members to automate the process tallying up points for members after events.

Learn more about TAMU SHPE

Century Scholars Organization, or CSO for short, is a student organization for recipients of the Century Scholars Program scholarship. CSO is dedicated to opportunities like networking, community service, and leadership positions. Throughout the semester, multiple socials are held to give a chance for members to meet new people or interact with former members. Personally, I still keep in touch with those friendships and I even treat those former members as mentors as I go through my college journey.

CSO personally helped me extend my network and helped me find multiple community service opportunities in the Bryan/College Station area. Community service events such as The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program where volunteers helped gather, organize, and distribute toys to the less fortunate during Christmas time. In this event, over 200 gift packages were put together to distribute.

After receiving an A in my calculus 1 course, I applied to be a session leader for that same subject. Not only would this give me a chance to get extra money but I could also share my knowledge with others that need it. Session leaders are in charge of 10 students on average per week and their main purpose is to help students polish their mathematics skills through help with math homework, practice problems, and exam preparation.

In addition to the regular help, I also try to help with the coding side of the class since I know that many students have never been exposed to coding before. I was once in that position as well, but I didn't have someone to help me through the basics of MATLAB and I remember the nights filled with frustration. I understand how stressful the start of a college career can be, so any help I can provide is my pleasure.

I do not want to just give my students the answers; instead, I want to guide them through the process so when they reach the goal, they can reap the fruits of their labor. As the saying goes, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime."