Proposal for SHPE Jr. Chapter at Millbrook High School
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) Community Outreach
Football League at Homestead Village: Promoting Exercise and Health Among Hispanic Youth
Failure is Inconsequential
“Ughh not suicides,” were the first words muttered by the phalanx of students standing beside me. I did not show the same exasperation, and thus remained eager for the next opportunity to showcase my fitness to the soccer coaches. In fact, I was so eager to lunge myself into the next drill that I foolishly asked, “What are suicides?”, meriting multiple perplexed looks. Everyone looked at me askance, save one student who seemed to find legitimacy in my statement. He explained the drill. I anticipated with excitement. When I checked the team roster the following week and failed to see my name on the list, I was bewildered. I had not made the high school soccer team. I would have stumbled down the perilous steps of resignation had I not turned to another facet of my loss: Failure should be inconsequential, and it should never be an obstacle for progress or greater success. Therefore, my internal desire to succeed had to overcome my fear of failure. After that realization, I decided to redirect my efforts into assembling a group of kids K-12 in my own neighborhood, Homestead Village, to play daily and practice in-game for my redemption tryouts next year. To my surprise, this would be the beginning of an ongoing passion project of mine: to empower students to set and fulfill their goals.
Growth
The group of students that I initially assembled consisted of 4 or 5 individuals. We played on an uneven lawn with more bare patches than grass. I built our first set of goals using PVC pipe and a repurposed net from an old goal. The group slowly turned into every kid in the neighborhood wanting to participate in our daily games. Thirty or more kids at a time, and often adults coming home from work stopped by to watch us play and challenged us to a friendly “students versus adults” match. I knew that we had outgrown our small piece of lawn with handmade goal posts. So I put together a proposal to the neighborhood property manager for a two new goal posts and a dedicated space for playing games. I had every student sign the proposal to show that we were unified in our request. Within a month, we were playing on a new field and I was scheduling games to ensure the field was shared equally, as well as receiving proper maintenance. Families came out on Sunday evenings to watch tournaments be played, and mothers of the children even prepped meals for them and their teammates. It was a genuine party.
The experience of building a team from scratch taught me the value of positive mentorship. We did not just play together, but rather learned teamwork, resilience, and the importance of community. Although I did not go back to tryout for my school’s soccer team (I had extracted valuable life lessons from elsewhere), several of the students I coached went on to be key players for their schools.
Teamwork and Mentorship
The motivation for the community soccer team was initially a selfish one (i.e., to practice the game so I could make my school’s team next round of tryouts). Nevertheless, the experience eventually led me to prioritize the personal development of others. I learned to be a mentor through this initiative, and I discovered that empowering others to take on greater challenges was my purest form of motivation. Today, I continue to mentor students and empower them to achieve their academic/professional goals through the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and as President of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc.
Independent Language and Culture Studies
Growing up a native Spanish and English speaker, I experienced the value of having multiple cultural perspectives early on in my life. Language is much more than a communication tool; it is a lens through which we see the world, and in that way it affects the way we think and act. Currently, I am working on becoming fluent in my third language — Italian. I want to learn new languages and cultures until my mind is no longer agile enough to process a new one.
Me and my sister, Angie, touring the Aztec-built canals of Xochimilco in Mexico City, Mexico.