Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Spotlight | Photo by Bethany Althauser | The Wright State Guardian
After a period of dormancy that started in 2016, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers has revived to perform outreach and support for local and underserved schools.
Reviving the organization and mission
As is in the description on the SHPE Engage page, SHPE empowers students to realize their potential, particularly with goals to serve in minority communities.
At the behest of the advisor of Amigos Latinos, current SHPE president and mechanical engineering major Alex Thomas answered the call to fill the hole left by SHPE since the organization went dormant due to a lack of adequate leadership.
The revived SHPE is currently focusing on outreach with local high schools, such as Belmont High School, assisting students with independent STEM-related projects.
“I saw there wasn't a really big connection for STEM in the area for these high schools, and I wanted to make my organization focused on the outreach that I felt was missing,” Thomas said.
This outreach would focus particularly on schools with higher minority and Hispanic populations.
“[Students] can get introduced to [STEM] early and kind of have a better idea of what it looks like, so I think growing that bond and then just growing the organization through outreach on campus, like little bake sales and little activities like that, and growing it to make it a larger outreach for students,” Thomas said.
Meetings and goals
With the establishment of relationships with various high schools, Thomas and other members hope to expand outreach to middle and elementary schools.
“I appreciate everyone's enthusiasm about restarting this organization. It makes planning and executing easier when everyone is engaged with what we are doing,” Caitlyn Schmitt, an active member of SHPE, said.
SHPE typically reviews this outreach with their monthly meetings on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., overviewing communication and planned STEM projects with partnered schools and planning SHPE fundraising.
In addition to outreach and the possibility of going to national conventions, SHPE Treasurer Xander Walker hopes to do more collaborations with other student organizations.
“Since SHPE right now is starting out with smaller events at the moment, I hope that in the future we can collaborate with other clubs and can do more outreach with STEM,” Walker said.
SHPE currently has approximately seventeen members and continues to grow. To join SHPE or learn more about the organization, visit its Engage page.
