This summer, away from the bright lights of Kyle Field, I met some of the brightest Latinx in STEM today. Set up in the middle of Silicon Valley I, along with 4 other Aggie Latinas, began a three daylong inaugural HSF STEM Summit that would end in a lifetime of knowledge and friendship.
Anahi Miranda ‘18, Ruby Bueno ‘18, Friederike Davis (TAMUCC ’19), Karen Espinoza (TAMIU ’18) and I are scholars of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), a national organization that “empowers Latino families with the knowledge and resources to successfully complete a higher education, while providing scholarships and support services to as many exceptional Hispanic American students as possible.” HSF is the kind of organization that brings people together to create something even bigger. Through its many scholarships and scholar events it provides opportunities for HSF Scholars to get to know each other and build a large network of supportive Latinx.
Throughout our three daylong journey we were privileged to meet some of the top Latinos in the STEM industry. We met with executives from Facebook, Cisco, Atipica and other amazing companies that urged the importance of Latino representation in STEM. They reinforced in us the value and worth that we all have, reminding us that our weaknesses are actually our strengths. They also made sure we knew the importance of not forgetting where we came from. As the wonderful Sandra Cisneros said in her book, The House on Mango Street, “When you leave you must remember to come back for the others. A circle, understand? … You can’t erase what you know. You can’t forget who you are.”
During panels focused on learning how to network and getting our dream STEM jobs, we gained the knowledge necessary to get our foot in the door and build our careers. In today’s world you cannot belittle the importance of a strong network, and our networks definitely grew wider over the course of the weekend.
But more important, perhaps, than the advice we were given by leading Latinos in the industry, were the conversations we had with each other. After each “Ted-style” talk and thought-provoking panel we were able to build friendships as we discussed all that we learned with each other and worked together in team-building exercises. As we spoke with each other we began to see that our Latino family is strong, smart, and driven. In today’s political climate we sometimes forget that it’s okay to express your beliefs and acknowledge where you came from. Our story, whether it is an easy one or a struggle, is a part of who we are. Our story is the reason we will be successful and then be able to turn around and go back for the ones we left behind.
Over the course of one weekend HSF was able to behold the future of our country. In the meeting room of the DoubleTree Hilton, building a tower out of spaghetti, was the man or woman who will cure cancer. In that room, standing on a chair made of balloons, was the engineer who would set our world on a path of greatness. Every person in that room has the potential to make a difference.
I am so incredibly thankful to be given the opportunity to be a part of HSF and share my experience with my fellow Aggies. This organization is keeping our Latino family strong and thrusting more Latinos in the spotlight. It is important that we get our voices heard so that we can build a future we can all be proud of.