As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at SWE this year, we are turning the spotlight on women engineers and students from the community. Compiled here is a curated list from the SWE podcast series, blog, magazine, and other online resources sharing the experiences of Hispanic women engineers in their career journeys, their impact in their industries and communities, and their efforts to inspire the next generation of professionals in STEM.
Diverse: a SWE Podcast
- Ep 335: A Fireside Chat With SHPE CEO Suzanna Valdez Wolfe on the State of Latinas in Engineering: Suzanna Valdez Wolfe, CEO of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), shares the unique challenges and opportunities facing Latinas in engineering, the importance of mentorship and leadership development, and how advocacy at the local and national levels ensures Hispanic voices are represented in shaping the future of STEM.
- Ep 324: Engineering as a Force for Good With Ana Tijerina Esquino: Ana Tijerina Esquino, a civil engineer at Mott MacDonald, explains why engineering is fundamentally a helping profession that aims to improve society, sustainable practices that are changing the industry, and her reflections on the funding of ports and mass transit.
- Ep 321: Stories from Community College Students & Alumni in STEM: Denise Grazielle Cruz, SWE collegiate member at Essex County College, and Maeliz Colon, SWE counselor for the Springfield Technical Community College SWE Affiliate, discuss their STEM experiences at community colleges, the stigmas and misperceptions they experienced along the way, and advice for women studying engineering.
- Ep 283: Latinas and Allies Working Together to Advance STEM Representation: Helly Torres, Hispanic Heritage Month lead of the SWE Latinos Affinity Group, speaks with Sunita Lavin, a dedicated ally and SWE Latinos AG member, about the critical role of allyship in advancing Latinas in STEM.
All Together Blog
- Igniting STEM Passion in Young Girls With GE Aerospace and SWE Queretaro City Affiliate: This collaborative event welcomed 40 young girls to the GEIQ Campus facilities for a tour and an inspiring exploration of STEM career paths, providing them with a unique sneak peek into the world of engineering and the exciting possibilities that a career in STEM can offer.
- How Mariel Cisneros Turned Her Childhood Dreams Into an Engineering Career: Senior program manager Mariel Cisneros overcame doubt, imposter syndrome, and Calculus II to build the future of aerospace. Read her story and others in the “Her Stories: Adventures in STEM” blog series, a collection of stories about 20 women in science and engineering fields.
- SWENext Spotlight: Isabella T: Learn how starting up an international club — the first SWENext Club in Sao Paulo and the fifth in Brazil — has been a transformative experience for Isabella, who found SWE while looking for organizations that support and advocate for women in engineering and promote gender equity in STEM.
SWE Magazine
- Stirred Up: Carmen Elena de Silva from El Salvador and Maria Porto from Brazil are among the women at the forefront of some of the biggest changes brewing in the coffee industry. Read more about their contributions and those of other women influencing the global coffee marketplace in our Winter 2024 feature.
- In Focus: Suzanna Valdez Wolfe, CEO of SHPE: Leading Hispanics in STEM, discusses the results of the organization’s recent membership survey and why more must be done to ensure the success of Latinas in STEM in this feature penned for the Summer 2025 issue. Read other In Focus features online.
- People: Be inspired by the careers of environmental engineer-turned politician Claudia Sheinbaum and NASA astronaut Ellen Ochoa, Ph.D., featured in our Summer 2024 issue. Sheinbaum is Mexico’s first woman president, and Dr. Ochoa is the first Hispanic woman to launch into space. Read about more women making a difference in STEM online.
Advance Learning Center
- Latina Engineers: Changing What Engineers Look Like: Focus on how to navigate engineering as a professional and a minority, as well as what skills can help to continue developing and excelling in your career. Explore ways to open doors to the future generations of Latinas and create a more inclusive work environment for all.
- Getting the Job Done Sin Quemarte (Without Burnout): Learn to identify the common cultural biases that lead Latinx and other marginalized communities to burnout, determine what strategies can be used to overcome the biases, and build a toolkit to get the job done sans burnout.
- Best Practices for Being a Super Mentor: Ever considered mentoring a promising Latina engineer? This webinar explores the personal and career benefits of being a mentor, the skills required, balancing listening with advising, and serving as a sponsor as well as a mentor.
Latinos Affinity Group
SWE’s Latinos Affinity Group is for SWE members who identify as Latino, are of Hispanic or Latin American heritage, or are allies of this community. Membership in any SWE Affinity Group is open to all SWE members interested in participating.
Join them on LinkedIn to connect with fellow SWE members, subscribe to their newsletter by logging into the member portal and opting in under Communication Preferences, or get in touch about volunteer opportunities or collaboration on Latinos_AG@swe.org.
SWE Joint Member Organizations
SWE has partnered with the Society of Hispanic Engineers to provide 25% off professional, associate, graduate, and undergraduate memberships. Benefit from the power of an expanded community, impactful connections, and greater access to programming and events.
