A new bipartisan resolution aims to get more Latinos involved in STEM careers. Jesus Ojeda earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering in 2019 and a Master’s in Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2020.
“I think we all had the dream of becoming an astronaut and secondly, growing up in a small town in México we were close to the airport so I would see the airplanes land and take off,” Ojeda said.
Ojeda completed many STEM internships, including one with NASA. He now works as a senior systems engineer at Raytheon in Goleta. He said resources weren’t always available to him and his college journey was not easy.
“Where was the dean’s office? Where was the financial office? So mainly not knowing anything, and not having anyone in my family that could guide me through the process,” said Ojeda.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2020, Hispanics were 18% of the nation’s workforce. A Pew Research Center study in 2021 found that Latinos only make up 8% of STEM jobs.
“Breaking through that first generation and opening that pathway empowers that whole family but in addition to that it also provides a whole other quality of life,” said Sonia Martinez, the assistant vice-president for advancement and marketing for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).
The resolution is an attempt to get colleges and universities involved in recruiting more Latinos into STEM fields that will lead them to better-paying jobs.
“We are great advocates of having our students do research, even as undergraduates, working with a faculty member so they can get excited and see the application of all this math and science that they are studying,” said Martinez.
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