During a 1973 tech boom in Los Angeles, civil engineer Rodrigo "Rod" Garcia realized he was “a brown face in a sea of white” at work. So, he decided to do something about it.
Garcia gathered fellow Hispanic engineers who’d had similar experiences, and they held a meeting in his garage to discuss how they could diversify the STEM field. There, The Society of Hispanic Professionals in Engineering was born.
As the nation’s leading organization advancing Hispanics in STEM, SHPE offers training, mentorships and programs to grow Hispanic engineers’ skills.
UF’s SHPE branch is one of the largest of several cultural clubs offered at the university, boasting over 5,000 followers on Instagram and over 100 leadership roles available to active members.
Juan Yarala, a 20-year-old UF civil engineering junior, is one of the club’s First Year Leadership Program directors, which guides incoming students, and serves as the vice president of external affairs. He was recruited by SHPE in 2024 during Gator Engineering Day.
As vice president of external affairs, he works with seven high school chapters around Florida to provide Hispanic students with resources to get into premiere universities to pursue engineering.
The program also features an annual conference that brings high school students across Florida to UF. The conference showcases youth engineering and what it achieves, Yarala said. Last year, 200 students attended the conference, he said, and the club predicts 250 this year.
“In SHPE, we believe that ‘familia’ is one of our pillars, and we want to make sure that everybody feels supported through a harsh major, even before they get here,” Yarala said.
SHPE provides a class timeline for each major with each class heavily researched . It showcases shows different types of classes, their respective difficulties, the professor and which semesters they’re available. It offers advice on whether or not a student should take the class with friends for support or if they can manage on their own.
“If I didn’t have the support that I get from them, I would not have been able to make it to the point where I am now,” Yarala said.
Daniella Ronda, a 20-year-old UF civil engineering junior, joined SHPE her freshman year. Almost every Latino student she knew was an engineer in SHPE, and her friends invited her to the club meetings. The club has given her the opportunity to make other friends, too, whom she hangs out with a few times a week in the basement of the Marston Science Library.
Ronda’s involvement at SHPE led her to her current role as the club’s civil engineering education adviser. She’s responsible for creating an engineering curriculum map and advising other civil engineering students about internships and classes.
Ronda said non-Latino organizations don’t usually understand Latinos’ struggles or the decisions they might make about class schedules or career opportunities. But, SHPE understands the immigration process, she said, and has resources for international students to better support them.
Many SHPE members are also first-generation students, she said. The organization can help them find financial support or professional development opportunities, such as workshops to create a LinkedIn account, practice networking or build a resume. The club usually holds its elevator pitch workshop early in the school year, which teaches students how to give a short, persuasive speech about a subject in under a minute, she said.
“I feel like SHPE is more geared towards Latinos,” Ronda said. “Being with your people and your culture is more comforting for students who might not know anybody on campus.”
On Sept. 15, Ronda said SHPE is holding a “barbeque with industry” event in which a company will sponsor them and hold a casual career fair. Many of the event’s volunteers are Latinos who attended UF and were “SHPEitos” themselves.
Having a Latino club like SHPE helps everyone feel like there’s a space for them on campus, she said.
“Sometimes, you don’t exactly see yourself represented, especially as an engineer,” Ronda said. “So, it’s really important for us to show people that we’re here and that we can do it, too.”
Daniel Fontes, a 22-year-old UF civil engineering fifth year, joined SHPE his freshman year, too. He’s now one of the directors of FLP. For Fontes, SHPE does more than advance a member’s professional career. The opportunity to socialize and get to know others facing similar struggles is the most valuable part of the organization, he said.
As a freshman, Fontes looked into other engineering and Hispanic organizations but said he didn’t feel the same sense of “familia” he found with SHPE.
“It’s very important to highlight that we’re proud of being Hispanic, but we also want to succeed in this environment, " he said. “We’re the same as you, but we just come from a different background.”
The FLP guides freshman and first-year transfer students through SHPE leadership and holds workshops every other week. Last year, SHPE volunteered at K-12 schools implementing STEM and working with junior chapters at local high schools, Fontes said.
“I think more representation in engineering is perfect for Hispanics and shows off that we can make it to these levels and reach the job positions that most of our parents fought hard for and came here to live those better lives,” Fontes said.
His parents celebrate their Venezuelan culture a lot, he said, through stories, history and laughter. Born in Tampa, Fontes sometimes tells others he’s from Venezuela because it’s a big part of his identity.
“I love being Hispanic,” Fontes said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”
Contact Emily Medina-Finsen at emedina-finsen@alligator.org. Follow her on X @EmilyMedFinZ27.
Emily is a UF journalism senior and The Alligator's Fall 2026 El Caimán reporter. This is her second semester working with The Alligator and enjoys reporting on the community and stories surrounding Hispanic culture. Emily adores horses, teaching and riding in her spare time, adores reading and picking up new hobbies.
