Engineering Student Founds Club for Hispanics in STEM

Kevin Dominguez wanted to empower the Hispanic engineering and technology community at New York Tech, so he founded the university’s chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) on the New York City campus.

“Diversity is key in a successful community, and I thought SHPE would take New York Tech to a new level,” says Dominguez, a junior majoring in electrical and computer engineering technology and president of the chapter. SHPE is a nationally recognized organization that has supported Hispanic students and professionals for nearly 50 years. Through this chapter, Dominguez aims to highlight the Hispanic presence at New York Tech, help students build leadership and STEM skills, and advance students’ careers.

The chapter launched during the spring 2020 semester and has about 25 members. With each event and club initiative, more students are joining. Through these events, Dominguez wants members of the club to learn hard and soft career and life skills to help them succeed in the workforce as well as receive internship and job opportunities. “What I would like for students to get out of SHPE is job opportunities, STEM skills, networking skills, and life learning skills that you might not get in a regular school environment,” he explains. “It’s very important to hone in on those skills, especially when you’re in the transition between a student and being a professional.”

Moving forward, Dominguez plans to recruit more members and have the New York Tech SHPE chapter partner with other schools. He wants to help new chapters provide Hispanics in STEM the opportunity to succeed in life and their careers.