SHPE - Fall 2008 - (Page 52)

ADVISOR CORNER ❚ By Leilani Rangel will successfully help them to create a future for themselves and their families.” Her first task was to help SHPE-MTU become an officially recognized chapter in 2001. Initially, this involved creating awareness of SHPE on campus and increasing membership. “Hispanic students were looking for a group to belong to, somewhere they could feel welcome and understood,” recalled Hugo Jiménez, who served two terms as student chapter president. “When we presented SHPE as a valid alternative to make something happen and represent our culture in a significant manner, that really got people excited and wanting to participate in our efforts.” The small chapter has successfully accomplished many goals. For example, its 10-15 members regularly participate in community service activities such as assisting local senior citizens and working on environmental beautification projects. Toward increasing awareness of Hispanic culture on campus, SHPE-MTU’s Gala Latina has evolved from a dance for less than 50 people into a live-band social that attracts as many as 300 people. “We have Latin food and music,” noted member Silvia Espino, “and the people of this community love being a part of that aspect of our culture. That is the most universal way that everybody can communicate.” Geographically isolated from the support of other student and professional chapters as well as larger corporations in its region, SHPE-MTU works hard to sustain itself and keep connected with the Society. One way it does so is by raising funds to attend the annual SHPE Conference, the only real chance to remind Keeping Warm with ‘Yuper’ Familia Spirit A t a driving distance of 11 hours from Detroit, six hours from Minneapolis and six hours from Milwaukee, the small town of Houghton – situated on the northern part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – is home to four universities. Of those four, only Michigan Technological University has a chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, meaning that members are for the most part isolated from other student and professional chapters in the region. In this setting, which receives an average of 250 inches of snowfall annually during nearly five months of winter, the SHPE familia takes on even greater meaning. Such personal interest Among the Yupers (promade the difference for Adrián nounced yoo-per) or Upper Little, who served four years Peninsula residents, who call on the SHPE-MTU board, Houghton home is Madeline including two terms as presiMercado Voelker, Hispanic/ dent. Although accustomed to Latino outreach coordinator Minnesota winters, he and advisor for the SHPE describes his first semester at student chapter. She has Michigan Tech as especially served in this capacity for the challenging. “I talked to past nine years, assisting with Madeline probably every day, the recruitment of Hispanic and she was constantly pushstudents. Yet, it’s her SHPE Madeline Mercado Voelker ing me to strive for excellence,” familia approach to the challenge of retaining them that she finds he said. “She always pointed out the positives in me, but at the same time, she wasn’t most rewarding. On campus, Hispanics compose 2.5 per- afraid to point out things that I needed to cent of the total student population and a work on. She treated me like family, and mere 1.5 percent in the College of that gave me a lot of motivation.” Today, Engineering. Michigan Tech is so distant that Little is living his dream as an automotive most students must wait until official school engineer with Chrysler and pursuing a recesses to see their families, and it doesn’t master’s degree in mechanical engineering. In a larger sense, offer much by way of a local Latino community to offer a taste of home in between Mercado Voelker’s role visits. Having made the radical transition 15 reflects SHPE’s comyears ago from Puerto Rico, “God’s Paradise,” mitment to provide the to Michigan, “God’s Country,” Mercado necessary support and resources to retain Voelker can sympathize with her students. “I like to think that I’m the rice and Hispanic students in beans or frijoles and tortilla advisor,” she the STEM fields. She said. “I can’t tell them how to get ready for explained, “I am an their chemistry exam, but I can definitely advocate for students, help them around that time, checking up many of whom are the to see if they are working out, sleeping first generation to enough and eating well. It’s something attend college, assisting in the Latino culture that we need to them to discover the SHPE-MTU’s familia spirit fosters a tightly knit membership, new challenges that the support of alumni and SHPE Conference participation. take care of each other.” 52 SHPE ❘ Fall 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SHPE - Fall 2008

SHPE - Fall 2008 Contents President's Letter From the Vice President Calendar of Events National Board of Directors The Great '08: Chapter Leaders Learn to Spread 'SHPE Fever' Browser National Retreat Provides a Redefinition An Engineer and a Politician Capitalizing on Engineering Talent Grupos de Afinidad A Focused Approach to Getting the Job You Really Want SHPE Conference 2008 IPC Update Programs & Services Keeping Warm with 'Yuper' Familia Spirit Promise of Spring Recruit, Engage and Retain Regional Student Representatives Regional Roundup Advertisers Index

SHPE - Fall 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.