SHPE - Fall 2007 - (Page 42) REGIONAL CONFERENCES led by Boeing representatives. As they constructed model jets and put them on a distribution line, they learned how good communication and lean manufacturing methods contribute to a top-quality finished product. A second activity on Saturday was Project Egg Drop, which challenged participants to design and construct a prototype within a budget that would protect an egg from cracking if it was dropped from a two-story building. On the second day, attendees could select from a variety of career and professional development workshops as well as a host of others on becoming capable SHPE leaders. “They learned about what they need to do to keep SHPE growing at their universities,” Tiede said. Among the favorite professional development workshops was one by SHPEUW Madison advisor Professor Tim Osswald. Addressing “Ethics in Engineering Practice,” he used the journey of natural and synthetic rubber from its production in the Amazon to its devastating uses at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Many students took advantage of another opportunity to network during a mini career fair. “I had no idea how to market myself or approach the job market,” admitted Nestor Sotres, a computer science junior at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who is the first in his family to attend college. “I got a lot of great information on how to present my résumé and network with recruiters. I also enjoyed their presentations which gave me insight into what they look for in an applicant, different paths to success and inspiring personal stories.” Grateful for the “incredible start to handling the job market” that he received at RLDC, Sotres committed to running for a position on the chapter’s executive board next year. 42 During the banquet, Diego Diaz, a computer engineering sophomore and chapter president at Kettering University, was fortunate to be seated with the keynote speaker, Andy Smiltneek, a retired engineer with KimberlyClark, and P&G’s Vince Cordova. In his speech, Smiltneek used historic examples to illustrate that societies who embrace diversity were more apt to prosper. Then during conversation, Diaz gleaned another good piece of advice from Cordova: “The fastest to adapt to change will survive and succeed in this world.” Both thoughts made him aware of just how much he’ll have to adapt in order to succeed in today’s quick-paced society. Whether it was over a dinner table, during teambuilding activities or at the mini job fair, networking opportunities abounded at RLDC. Not only did it give participants time to bond with fellow SHPE members and build enthusiasm toward achieving goals for the upcoming year, but it also prepared them to be leaders in the engineering industry. REGION VII Leaders Start the Wave “Treat the conference as a first-class event.” This wise counsel from Pat Whitely, vice president of student affairs at the University of Miami, became the motto RLC organizers used when making every conferencerelated decision. As a result, 50 Region VII students came away with valuable leadership training and prime examples of how they could initiate change in their local chapters. As an example, transportation was a breeze. With twoday metro passes sponsored by the City of Miami, participants took the train between the hotel in South Miami and the conference site in Coral Gables. From the rail station, shuttles took students directly to the building at the University of Miami where they attended workshops on “Developing Effective Leadership Skills,” “Solving Difficult Situations,” “Confidence and Pressure” and “Diversity in the Workplace.” The “real-world cases” presented in the workshops impressed first-time RLC participant Marino Garcia, an industrial engineering junior at Southern Polytechnic State University. He particularly appreciated the experience and advice shared by keynote speakers. These included Maria Azua, vice president of Technology and Innovation with IBM (and SHPE’s 2007 Hispanic in Technology Corporate STAR Award winner); Pete Martinez, vice president for Global Business Services with IBM; and Diana Gomez, SHPE National president. “The overall experience of the conference helped me understand how I can be an effective leader and where I can make a positive impact on others,” Garcia said. Evidence of the “first class event” attitude was found in every detail. After a full day of workshops students were shuttled to a pavilion at Key Biscayne for a networking beach barbecue. Although they changed into their beachwear at the university, “We couldn’t have them carry their suits to the beach with them,” said Annette Abadin, RLC vice chairwoman. “So we devised a coat check system, providing them with hangers and plastic bags, labeling all their things and taking them back to the hotel so that it was waiting for them when they got back.” Organizers even went so far as polling attendees about their favorite Subway sandwiches, ordering them for lunch and offering alternative menus for students observing Lent who couldn’t consume meat on Fridays. Chairwoman Abadin said that sponsors realized the committee’s effort, the students appreciated it and that SHPE President Gomez commented on how smoothly the conference was executed, even while catering to so many details. Another indicator of RLC’s success, she said, was that it generated a funding surplus that will go toward the chapter’s budget. In the end, RLC’s greatest success was the top-notch professional leadership training it provided. According to Alejandra Hernandez, a second year industrial and systems engineering student at the University of Florida, the conference enhanced some of the skills she already possessed and gave her ample opportunities to put them into practice while networking with other student leaders. “The most valuable thing I learned at RLC,” she said, “is the diversity we have and how we can use it to make an impact in our Latino community by being role models to future generations.” I Region VII’s RLC offered plenty of opportunities for professional networking. SHPE R Fall 2007
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