Medtronic, a medical device company, and its charitable arm, the Medtronic Foundation, have set up a partnership with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) to launch a program for Hispanic/Latino students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.
“Our partnership with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers will reduce barriers for low-income Hispanics and Latinos completing STEM degrees,” said Liz Lund, the foundation’s director of strategic operations. “Together we will help grow the representation of underserved and underrepresented communities within the STEM workforce and create economic mobility for our scholars and their families.”
The Medtronic Foundation ScholarSHPE will provide comprehensive scholarships, awarding recipients up to $25,000 per year for tuition and other expenses. Medtronic is committing more than $2 million over the next four years to internships opportunities for qualified SHPE students. Combined with the MentorSHPE program, the goal is to attract young Hispanic and Latino talent to Medtronic.
“Hispanics and Latinos are underrepresented in the STEM workforce,” said Noel Colón, senior vice president and chief quality officer at Medtronic. “As a Hispanic engineer myself, I’m excited about opportunities like this that can change that.”
The InternSHPE and MentorSHPE programs kicked off at the start of the fiscal year. Medtronic began interviewing for InternSHPE interns earlier this year and they will join the company in early 2022.
“I was a SHPE chapter leader years ago and now I have the opportunity to work directly with the organization to bring this program to life,” said Gerardo Zuñiga, a quality systems director who is also leading the program initiative for the Medtronic Hispanic and Latino Network employee support group. “I took on leading this because I know how important it is to be a mentor to other Hispanics and Latinos in this space and the value and opportunities this program will bring to SHPE students.”
Zuñiga is proud of Medtronic’s commitment to ID&E and it drives him to do more.
“It may not be my day job, but I will take on challenge after challenge to support Medtronic ID&E efforts like the partnership with SHPE,” he said. “Together, we can remove barriers for the Hispanic community.”
Medtronic and the Medtronic Foundation are committing more than $3 million over the next four years for scholarships, internships, and mentorship opportunities for qualified SHPE students. Read the full story here.
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