Steven Perez

Receiving the Professional Development Grant was immensely helpful in growing my professional network and an opportunity to obtain an internship. I was able to go to Anaheim, California for SHPE’s historic 50th annual National Convention, hosting 20,000 Hispanics in STEM. Through this experience I was able to connect with other students from all across the country from different SHPE chapters, experience professional workshops and panels, as well as meet with recruiters from various engineering companies. Most importantly, I was able to strengthen my relationship with members of my organization, as planning, attending and supporting one another for 3 days and 2 nights is no simple task, especially in a stressful situation like a professional convention that can lead to exciting opportunities. 

It was honestly surprising to see so many Hispanics in STEM all in one place and wanting to better their careers. Hispanics have the lowest percentage of any major race/ethnicity pursuing higher education, so it was great to see many young Latinos bettering their careers. This was also especially surprising to me since Syracuse University is a predominantly white institution, so seeing this many Hispanic students in one place was a bit of a warm surprise. 

While I was not able to secure any research or internship opportunities during this convention, it really helped me understand how these types of events work and how I can do better in the future. I hope to be able to attend SHPE’s 51st national convention in October/November in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Here, I hope to use my previous experience to hopefully be able to sharpen my skills and secure an internship for that following summer.