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Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers organization members holding their trophy.
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) members hold their trophy at the SHPE National Convention on Oct. 31. | Image: Texas A&M Engineering

Each year, members of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) join in celebrating their differences as well as their accomplishments at the SHPE National Convention. This year in Phoenix, Arizona, was different, however. For the first time in their history, Texas A&M University’s chapter won National Large Chapter of the Year on Oct. 31.

President Adriana Urueta said that her organization dedicates this achievement to past officers. She said that what sets her chapter apart is their level of transparency between executive board members. They often found themselves leaning on one another for everything from last-minute food pickups or enhancing another’s presentations.

“When we received our award at the convention, hearing our name brought me great pride, causing me to jump up out of my seat and give high-fives to the members around me before walking to the stage,” Urueta said.

That moment was 25 years in the making for the chapter. Above all, Urueta said that it was always a continuous learning experience from year to year, and to have won this award means they won it for their past officers, too.

Looking out from the stage after accepting my award was breathtaking because seeing so many Hispanics leading the way in STEM was eye-opening.

Adriana Urueta

It was not until her board members had their professional pictures taken after their name was announced that Urueta calmed down and realized what her chapter has truly accomplished.

“In no way does winning this award mean that Texas A&M SHPE has peaked, because this all is just the beginning of great success for our chapter,” Urueta said.

In the upcoming year, Urueta said she believes that the chapter goals will revolve around ensuring they have the resources to meet the demands of their members. With the number of Hispanics in engineering increasing at Texas A&M, the chapter goals will reflect on securing additional corporate sponsorships, increasing the retention of their membership, providing more leadership positions and improving their relationship with other SHPE chapters throughout Texas.

Winning this award means that everything my team and I put into the organization was worth it,” Urueta said. “On a personal level, there are not enough words to describe what this means to me, but this is proof that I can overcome my imposter syndrome, and if I can, then everyone else can, too.

Visit the SHPE website for more information about the organization.