According to Pew Research Center, Latine representation in STEM sits around 8%. It’s even smaller for Latina women, who make up roughly 2% of those fields. In Milwaukee, there’s a chapter of a national organization trying to change that.
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) was founded in Los Angeles by a small group of engineers in 1974. Now it’s the largest association in the United States dedicated to fostering Hispanic leadership and representation in STEM fields.
At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a college chapter of the organization applies SHPE’s mission to empower students like Erick Covarrubias. An electrical engineering major and president of the chapter, he says SHPE helped him by creating a community that lets people like him know they’re not alone.
“Being Hispanic and in engineering, it's an uphill battle for sure,” Covarrubias said. “A lot of us are first generation and coming to school. A lot of us don't know too much about it. I never knew what LinkedIn was until I was a sophomore or how to tailor my resume for specific positions. I never knew how to go to a career fair until I joined SHPE.”
Apart from the many university chapters, SHPE is also a community organization in Milwaukee. While it’s only been active for a year and a half, the group has grown quickly to provide networking and volunteer opportunities, as well as social events.
Similar to the college chapter, it’s all about creating much-needed space for people like Fernanda Tabares. She’s the vice president of the professional board in Milwaukee and advisor for the college chapter whose own experiences with racism and sexism fuel her work with the organization.
“Having a space to share similar experiences and just find support for each other is important so that these people stay in the fields,” Tabares said. “SHPE being what it is has been more of a supportive community for me to be able to [say], ‘No, this is my calling.’”
And people in Milwaukee are answering that call. This past summer, Mexican Fiesta reached out to students from UWM (including myself) about putting together an all-ages engineering club. Students from the SHPE college chapter responded by putting together small projects to showcase at the cultural festival.
After classes got back in session, SHPE held its first meeting with Rockwell Automation, as professionals from the company took time to talk with students about interviewing and other tips for approaching recruiters at career fairs. The same week, the professional chapter held a panel event with speakers across all career stages who shared their experiences, challenges and lessons learned.
As someone participating from a student perspective, these events showed me that the imposter syndrome imposed on the Latine community is a challenge at any age. And that’s OK, because that same community of people who need to fill so many roles in their lives will offer support as your dreams and aspirations take shape.
“I do like that SHPE at UWM is also very social, so it has a more community aspect,” Tabares said. “SHPE, traditionally, is very professional, and I know that there's room for that. But you're not only an engineer; you're also a sibling or friend or a parent sometimes. I think that's important to celebrate as well.”
To learn more about SHPE’s UW-Milwaukee chapter, visit the group’s website. To learn more about the professional chapter in Milwaukee, find them on Instagram or LinkedIn.
