There isn’t much representation of Hispanics in STEM fields but a group of Hispanic high schoolers in Colorado are paving the way for other Hispanics to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Daniel Paredes is a junior at Northeast Early College. His family is from Mexico.
“A lot of pressure, everyone looking up to you. You just want to do the best and make sure everyone’s proud of you,” Paredes said.
Achieving academic success is already difficult for Hispanic students with the lack of representation.
Paredes hopes to continue his studies and become an engineer, a path that not many Hispanic students follow.
Alan Morales-Gonzalez is a senior at the school with the goal of pursuing a career in STEM.
“This year I’m trying to graduate with my associates for the high school year and then from there it would be trying to get a bachelor’s in engineering,” Morales-Gonzalez said.
Google and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation conducted a study in 2020 to find out how Hispanics are contributing to STEM. The study found that they make up about a quarter of 18-to-24-year-olds in the U.S. but only hold 1 in 10 bachelor’s degrees. In addition, out of all the degrees in STEM fields, they only account for 10% — far behind white and Asian graduates, which the report identified as “overrepresented groups.”
The Google and Hispanic Heritage Foundation report found that while Hispanics are 17% of the American workforce, they’re only about 8% of the workforce in STEM fields.
“Where they came from, they didn’t really have a chance to get an education, and I know they’re working hard for me and my brothers, so that would mean a lot to them,” Paredes said.
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