Engineering Students Help Hispanic Youths Prepare for College Admissions
USU student members of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers offered a community workshop aimed at educating Hispanic parents in Cache Valley about the college application process. They worked with parents and high school students.
Navigating the college admissions process can be a complicated experience for high school students, especially for young people whose parents are unfamiliar with the system themselves.
But Utah State University engineering students worked to change that the night of Jan. 31 with a community workshop aimed at educating Hispanic parents in Cache Valley about the college application process and financial aid programs available for students in Utah.
Members of the USU student chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, or SHPE, organized the workshop as part of a national initiative to get high school students more interested in math, engineering, science and technology and help parents and guardians guide young students into such academic programs in college.
SHPE chapter president Jose Campos said the goal of the Noche de Ciencias event is to inform K-12 students and their families about STEM education and college options through interactive workshops and activities.
"SHPE at Utah State University has been able to impact the lives of members of the Hispanic community and allow them to see that education does not end with high school," he said. “Last year alone more than 6,200 students, parents, teachers and volunteers participated in Noche de Ciencias across the country.”
Campos said having an active SHPE chapter at USU has helped members build leadership skills and land internship opportunities with companies, including Northrop Grumman, Cummins, The Boeing Company, Delta Air Lines, CH2MHILL and others.
“Our student members have benefited greatly, and they pay it forward every day,” he added.
This year's SHPE chapter has 47 active members — the biggest following since the group started at USU. The local chapter was recently selected to host a regional SHPE conference scheduled to take place on the USU campus in March.
College of Engineering Dean Christine Hailey said she’s very impressed with what the SHPE member students are accomplishing both on campus and around the community.
“These students embody the mission of SHPE which is to change lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support and development.”
More information about USU’s SHPE chapter is available online.
Related link:
Contact: Jose Campos, jose.campos@aggiemail.usu.edu
Writer: Matt Jensen, 435-797-8170, matthew.jensen@usu.edu
Members of the SHPE student chapter presented demonstrations and activities during the meeting.
Parents at the event received information about the college application processes and financial aid possibilities.
SHARE
TRANSLATE
Comments and questions regarding this article may be directed to the contact person listed on this page.
