Article by Kathryn Trupia
From fostering belonging to professional growth, the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers is creating lasting connections and opportunities for students in STEM.
Meet SHPE (Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers), an organization dedicated to enriching the experiences of Hispanic engineering students.
“I was first inspired to join as I wanted to be around other Hispanic and Latino students, and find a community within the engineering field,” said junior Axel Rodriguez-Leon, vice president of SHPE. “Additionally, as a first-generation student, I needed a place that would help me push my career further and set a good example for myself.”
The goal of SHPE is to bring people together to create a community within the STEM field.
“Our chapter creates a supportive environment for people who may feel disconnected,” said senior Isabel Ortiz, president of SHPE. “There are not many Hispanics in STEM, and those who start in a STEM major often switch out because of stress or imposter syndrome. We want to empower our community and let them know SHPE is here to help.”
Along with a sense of community, SHPE encourages its members to grow professionally, providing scholarships, internship opportunities and network connections.
“SHPE allows everyone involved to gain connections and resources that many wouldn’t otherwise have,” said Leon. “It’s very valuable to have people with shared experiences supporting each other throughout college, especially in a STEM major.”
This past November, nine students represented UD at the SHPE 2024 national conference in Anaheim, California, a significant increase from the three students who attended in 2023. “We have started to grow a lot more as an organization,” said Leon. “I hope to create a foundation of success [as VP] and inspire the chapter to keep succeeding in the future.”
SHPE is looking forward to attending the 2025 national conference during the fall semester, closer to home, in Philadelphia. With hopes to bring even more students than last year, SHPE invites students from all backgrounds and majors to join.
“Whether you’re Hispanic or not, we have a community that is here to help you both professionally or personally,” said Ortiz. “STEM can be difficult, but we’re here to make the challenges more manageable by connecting people with shared experiences.”
Want to learn more? Follow @shpeatudel on Instagram to stay in-the-know about upcoming events.