SHPE - Fall 2007 - (Page 24) BROWSER IBM-SHPE Mentoring Program Enriching Lives and Enhancing Careers Beginning in 2005, SHPE and IBM partnered to pilot a mentoring program in Region VII. The pilot in Florida was a success and the program was extended to other regions. Since then, its success has continued at the national level, resulting in many positive experiences. As one of the many mentor-mentee pairs who met during the pilot program, Manny Hernandez and Angela Perez wanted to share their experiences, giving further evidence of the positive effect that mentoring can bring to both parties. The Mentee’s Perspective: Angela Perez, Cell Services Engineer “Participating in the SHPE-IBM Mentoring Program was a great opportunity to gain insight from a corporate professional’s perspective. My academic background is technical, and my mentor’s background is in business, but I believe that his work experience really added value to our encounter because of his different point of view. “The meetings with my mentor, Manny Hernandez, were very positive and beneficial. I believe our initial meeting was the most critical because he helped me focus on ‘where I’m at — and where I’m going’ in terms of my internship experience and what The Mentor’s Experience: Manny Hernandez, Digital Media Specialist “I had been looking for an opportunity to work in a mentoring relationship, and when I learned about the SHPE program at IBM, I decided to explore further. I was hesitant because I am not an engineer by trade and did not know if my sales and marketing background would be useful to the people participating in the program. When I saw the first name on the list of participants, Angela Perez, I knew I had to become involved since she had the same name as my 16-year-old stepdaughter, for whom I also serve as a mentor of sorts. “The focus of the IBM-SHPE Mentoring Program is to provide a sounding board and advice pool for bright and motivated individuals so that they can further their career goals and life aspirations. Angela initially sought advice on her career path. She had reached a crucial juncture and simply needed to bounce her ideas and concerns off of a willing listener who could provide feedback and perhaps alternate options she might not have considered. I was glad and motivated to work with this talented and hard-working young lady. Together we built a career strategy whereby she became a permanent employee of the IBM Corporation. “Our relationship has been one of mutual benefit, as Angela’s work with IBM’s Cell Broadband processors turned out to be helpful to me as well. Last year I was given the opportunity to work in IBM’s Digital Media sales force for the Systems and Technology group, which sells powerful computers to industries such as online video gaming. Angela has been great in helping me understand the technology and applications. I look forward to further participating in the program in the coming years.” Get Involved! Mentoring is mutually fulfilling for both the mentor and the mentee, enriching their experiences on the professional and personal levels. Student and professional SHPE members are encouraged to get involved in the SHPE-IBM Mentoring Program or similar programs available through other companies or in the local community. For more information contact Wanda Ronquillo at wtronqui@us.ibm.com. I SHPE R Fall 2007 Angela Perez Manny Hernandez my possibilities were for working at a company such as IBM. Our meeting took place a week before I attended IBM’s Project View in Austin, Texas, and he was very supportive, encouraging me before and after I went. A month later, I received an offer to work for the Global Engineering Solutions team located in Raleigh, North Carolina. “I am very grateful for Manny’s willingness to generously spend some time with me and share his advice about being goal-oriented in a planned out way. Meeting him in person also helped me eliminate the belief I had in my mind about joining a company like IBM as being ‘unreachable’ by bringing Big Blue closer to my frame of reference. “I will also always be thankful to SHPE and for the support from IBM’s executives Maria Azua and Maria Hernandez, who are giving Hispanic students the opportunity to bridge the gap from their academic to industry experience through mentoring.” NOTAR The Secretary of Defense recently announced that Rear Admiral (lower half) Albert Garcia III has been nominated for appointment to the grade of Rear Admiral. He is currently serving as Deputy Commander, First Naval Construction Division, Norfolk, Virginia, which oversees about 16,000 active and reserve Seabees. His previous positions include Commodore for the 9th Naval Construction Regiment and Assistant Chief of Staff for Reserve Affairs at the First Naval Construction Division. In 2003 Rear Adm. Garcia was recalled in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he commanded Task Force Charlie of the IMEF Engineering Group and later was assigned as the Deputy Commander of the IMEF Engineering Group in Iraq. He assumed the duties of Deputy Commander of the First Naval Construction Division in August 2005. Rear Adm. Garcia’s professional background includes a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Ph.D. in environmental engineering. He was a tenured associate professor at Texas A&M responsible for both teaching and research programs in advanced bio-reactor design. In 1992 he started MRV Engineers and Constructors, a Design/Build Corporation specializing in industrial wastewater treatment projects throughout the United States. Rear Adm. Garcia is registered as a professional engineer in 18 states and is a Seabee Warfare Officer. Dr. Louis A. Martin-Vega, Dean of Engineering at North Carolina State University, was recently named National Hispanic Scientist of the Year by the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI). The award recognizes outstanding Hispanic scientists who promote a greater public understating of science and motivate Hispanic youths’ interest in science. He has held several prestigious national positions including being the first Hispanic to serve as acting head of the Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation and director of NSF’s Division of Design, Manufacture and Industrial Innovation. His efforts at NSF included the development of foundation-wide programs such as the Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) and Research Experiences for K-12 Teachers (RET) programs. These are aimed at integrating research and education and increasing the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in science and engineering. Prior to joining NC State, he held positions at various universities, including tenured faculty positions at the University of Florida and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez. Dr. Martin-Vega holds an M.S. in operations research from New York University and a Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Florida. 24
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