SHPE students recap national conference
Melissa Holland:
“After hearing about all the opportunities and fun that people had at the last SHPE conference in Seattle. I decided that I need to go to the next one in Kansas City, not only to represent my club but also to reach my career goals. I really wanted an internship for the summer and this was all I was excepting to get from SHPE conference but I got so much more. I became so close to my chapter, made great connections with students all over the country, I earned my Six Sigma white belt, I got two interviewed for Co-ops and have accepted an offer with GE Aviation! I was honestly quite nervous to put myself out there in front of recruiters, but by the end of the conference I felt comfortable talking to everyone. While I am secured for the next few semesters in terms of a job, I am excited to go to the SHPE regional conference next semester to meet more of the SHPE community, take advantage of the workshops offered and experience the beautiful city of Chicago!”
Alanis Molina:
“My name is Alanis Molina. I am second year Industrial & Systems Engineering student. I attended the SHPE, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri to expand my network with students and professionals as well as to seek new internship opportunities. Attending the conference was one of the best experiences of my college career thus far. Not only did I get to experience the diversity aspect of each company and school in attendance, I also got to learn about their experience in the workplace and how to be successful in an engineering career. I was lucky enough to be offered interviews with GE Oil & Gas and Turner Co. and obtain the Lean Six Sigma White Belt Certification. I left the conference with many new connections, opportunities, and advice but the thing that struck out to me the most was a quote said by a presenter during a workshop: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.’”
Alejandro Nunez:
“My name's Alejandro Nunez, and I'm a 4th year ISE student. This year's conference, in Kansas City, was the 4th one I had attended, and I can definitely say that it never gets old. The multitude of companies and workshops for professional and personal development this year were abundant, and this year I was even able to receive my Lean Six Sigma White Belt. This year's conference was a little different for me because I did not only attend as a student but also as a Delta Air Lines representative, as I assisted with recruitment and interviews. I cherished every moment at conference this year, and I'm excited for the upcoming conferences to come next year. I will be back at Delta Air Lines for my second co-op rotation this coming Spring, and I'm sure it will also be an exciting experience. Thanks to SHPE at OSU and the ISE department, I have been able to call Ohio State my second home; and I have also been able to develop myself as future Industrial Engineer.”
Vanesa Salinas Comuzzi:
“My name is Vanesa Salinas Comuzzi and I am a third year in ISE. I decided to go to the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers because I wanted to enhance my job search and make connections with other Hispanic engineers around the country. With such a small Hispanic engineering community at Ohio State, SHPE at OSU has become like a second home for me on campus. Going to the conference allowed me to meet other ‘families’ from schools anywhere from Detroit to Seattle to Atlanta. Not only did I meet other talented and driven Hispanic engineering students, but I also had to opportunity to network and interview with four different companies and received on-site offers from two of those four. When recruiters heard that I was from Ohio State, they immediately recognized the name and program, which helped me stand out among so many other candidates. SHPE and the ISE department opened so many doors for me and I look forward to attending other conferences in the future!”
Karen Santos:
“My name is Karen Santos and I am a second-year student serving as the Chapter Development chair of the Society of Hispanic and Professional Engineers. My purpose of attending the conference was to build my professional development by working to attain an internship through the SHPE career fair which was held during the conference. During my time, I wanted to grow in my leadership development as well by attending different workshops about a variety of topics from how to build my personal brand to being my own CEO and cultural awareness. This was my first SHPE conference which turned out to be a very memorable experience. During the conference, I had the opportunity to network with several professionals from a wide range of companies. I interviewed for four companies and received 2nd and 3rd round interviews with two of them. At the moment, I have 3 pending offers for the summer all thank you to SHPE National and the
ISE department for sponsoring me to attend.”