Two computer science students, Alejandra Barroso and Claudia Mercado, received funding from the Computer Science and Computer Engineering Department and the U of A to attend a Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers leadership conference at Texas A&M University.

The conference consisted of multiple workshops ranging from career fair preparation to salsa dancing. According to Barroso, dancing provided an excellent environment for networking. Some of the biggest takeaways from the event were learning to embrace femininity in STEM, experiencing culture and diversity, and overcoming imposter syndrome.

"I learned that everyone's journey looks different. You shouldn't compare your journey to someone else's," Mercado said.

Members of the society usually attend national or regional conferences to grow their skill set. Barroso and Mercado are officers of the U of A chapter and plan to make expansions based on what they learned. Barroso intends to start a junior chapter of the society to encourage students to pursue STEM in college.

Barroso wants other students to know that "conferences like these are a really great way to become close with other engineering students. Find friends in STEM!"