The 2024 SHPE National Convention
Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California
"The Largest Gathering of Hispanics in STEM"
At the end of October/beginning of November, our club got the opportunity to attend the SHPE National Convention. Throughout the duration of Nationals, companies such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and many more offer workshops and seminars on leadership, self-awareness, and self-development skills. This convention also offers a 2-day career Expo with 200+ STEM companies wanting to hire specifically us. They are there to meet, interview and offer an opportunity to the best of the best. We are the best of the best.
The Location
Located in SHPE’s Region 1, this year’s conference was held in the Golden state of California. Our club members soaked in the vibrant, sunny energy of Anaheim, with palm-lined streets leading to everything from delicious local eats to the enchanting atmosphere of Disneyland, and back to the largest convention center on the West Coast to participate in the 50th SHPE National Convention.
Conveniently, the hotel our SHPE members stayed at was just a short pathway away from the conference building. The Hilton hotel sits directly in front of the Anaheim Convention Center, so the walk was no more than 2 minutes. Additionally, after full days of networking and professional development, some members took advantage of their downtime with a quick 20 minute walk to Downtown Disney for a fun change of pace.
The SHPE National Convention in Anaheim gave the Las Águilas chapter the perfect blend of professional growth, meaningful connections, and a unique experience of California’s charm.
Our Results
OUR MEMBERS GOT OFFERS FROM THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES!
Achieving New Heights
This year’s convention marked a record-breaking milestone for our chapter, as we brought 67 total attendees, the largest number of attendees in our history. Especially as one of the smaller chapters in Region 7, it’s impressive that our numbers show how active our members are. In addition to this feat, this was also the farthest the ERAU chapter has ever gone, traveling over 2,000 miles across the country. This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of numerous organizations who sponsored our chapter, including the College of Engineering at ERAU and Collins Aerospace.
Additionally, our fundraising efforts were top notch this academic year. The funds we raised helped us pull off the trip to Nationals and made it possible for so many of our members to attend.
Member Remarks and Reflection
Anthony Fuentes – “I originally didn’t plan on attending this year’s SHPE convention and had little belief in myself. However, after speaking with Maximus our president and an Alumni Daniel Delamota I was convinced to make the trip despite not getting on the list to be funded. Through this decision I worked hard to be ready for this convention and had so many people help me with my resume. The help from so many SHPE members gave me the confidence and I was lucky enough to receive a full time offer from it. I am super grateful to them for supporting and believing in me when I didn’t, and it really shows you how good our familia is.”
Giovanni Gyorody – “Nationals was genuinely the most transformative experience of my fall semester. I learned so much by attending workshops, and I became much more comfortable speaking with recruiters and networking. I also had the incredible opportunity to interview with L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, and JHUAPL, all during my first semester as a freshman. My biggest piece of advice to anyone attending Nationals for the first time is this: remember that everyone is just a person. They may have the job you want, hold a high-ranking position at a company you admire, or quite literally have the power to shape your future, but at the end of the day, we’re all human. Don’t speak like a robot. Be genuine, be yourself.”
Gabriella Marie Ballock – “The most exciting part was walking into the convention center and seeing all of the different companies for the first time; I had to stop for a moment just to take it all in. Overall, my National Convention experience was incredible. I had the opportunity not only to network but also to complete interviews with companies such as Bechtel, Whiting Turner, Burns & McDonnell, and Jacobs. It was an honor to accept an on-the-spot civil/structural engineering internship with Jacobs for this coming summer. I left not only with an internship and valuable connections, but also with a renewed passion and drive to keep pushing forward.”
Companies That Attended the 2024 Conference
The full list of companies that attended the National Convention can be found below. This list was generously provided by the official SHPE Website.
Join Us for the 2025 SHPE National Convention
This past convention was located in Anaheim, California. During the convention, SHPE publicly announced that the 2025 SHPE National Convention will be located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Our club will provide more information regarding Nationals once it gets closer. For now, we suggest becoming an official SHPE Member. While our club at the Embry-Riddle campus does not collect dues, SHPE itself has a membership that grants you access to a handful of resources including scholarships, job opportunities, resume reviews, and most importantly, discounted registration prices to all SHPE-hosted events