MENU About SHPE Students Professionals Support SHPE News & Blog MEMBER STORIES The Story of Elmer Mateo Elmer is breaking barriers as the first member of his family to pursue a STEM career. SHPE Marketing 10.6.2021 Share: Share Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn #SHPE4Life SHPE changes lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness. Join Donate Sign In Childhood "No one in my family has ever been an engineer. Nobody's ever gone into the STEM field so me being the first one, I'm breaking the barriers and representing my family." College "I was strong in math and physics and I wanted to be a doctor because making money was associated with that. I really didn't think about having a passion until I found out about biomedical engineering. I really love the idea of making the one medical device to help millions and impact people's lives. I'm currently in my fourth year at UC Irvine majoring in biomedical engineering." SHPE "I first discovered SHPE at orientation while I was registering for classes. I was receiving help from an upperclassman and I just asked him 'Are there any clubs you recommend joining for somebody like me who is the only person from my high school going to this school?' He told me about SHPE and the word Familia. I had felt really homesick and when he told me about how strong the Familia was I wanted to be part of something like that." "I'm in two committees. The first committee is the events planning committee where I help organize socials for the UCI chapter. The other committee I'm really enjoying is the SHPE Junior committee where every weekend we go out to a local high schools like and we mentor high school students and help them through skills projects and give college guidance too, exposing them to the STEM field." "At SHPE National Convention, I love seeing different chapters and seeing SHPE Familia and how strong they are at other schools too. I just met people from the University of Arizona SHPE chapter and they were really open to me and they like treating me like their Familia even though I just met them." Mentor "The most memorable thing my mentor, Adrian, taught me- the thing that I remember- is just being comfortable with who I am. He made me more confident in myself as a person." Future "What I do know now is that in five years I want to be able to help people through making a medical devices while also just representing the Hispanic community. I want to empower them by being successful and sharing that success with other people, my community, and my SHPE Famillia." Advice "Don't be scared of the STEM field. It seems difficult at first: calculus, physics, chemistry, and biology, but if you have the passion for it then you'll be able to put in the hard work to overcome those challenges." We can't wait to have you in our Familia. Joining SHPE marks the beginning of something great. You’re committing to your future, the future of our Hispanic community, and the future of STEM. Join Us New from SHPE SHPE NEWS Members of Congress Voice Their Support 11.15.2021 THOUGHTS FROM THE CHAIR November 2021 | The Right Choice at the Right Time 11.2.2021 SHPE NEWS SHPE Elevates Dr. Chris Wilkie to Chief Executive Officer 10.19.2021 CEO CORNER October 2021 | Adios y Muchas Gracias 10.19.2021 Join SHPE Donate Sign In About SHPE Media Kit Support SHPE Events & Conferences Contact Us Contact SHPE Email: shpenational@shpe.org Phone: 323.725.3970 13181 Crossroads Parkway North, Suite 220 City of Industry, CA 91746 Tax ID #: 72-1549994 Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Copyright 2021 SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) Privacy Policy Back to top