News & Insights

Kimley-Horn Attends the Nation’s Largest Convention for Hispanic Engineers

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) is a non-profit organization that exists to empower and advance the Hispanic community in the STEM field. With over 14,000 members in their Familia, SHPE is the largest association of its kind in the country.  

For nearly 50 years, SHPE has provided its members with networking, training, and mentorship opportunities to develop the next generation of leaders in STEM, and one of these initiatives is the SHPE National Convention. Held each year in a different city, the SHPE National Convention attracts thousands of Hispanic students and professionals for several days of workshops, networking sessions, and recruiting events.  

A Place for Diversity, Passion, and Belonging

For the first time ever, Kimley-Horn attended the 2023 SHPE National Convention, held in Salt Lake City, Utah. Attendees from Kimley-Horn included Emily Young, Christen Steele, Jonathan Hernandez, and Carlos Leal, PE who participated in the convention’s career fair and went to some of the professional development workshops. This year, workshop topics included “Grow Your Career One Step at a Time,” “Stand Out from the Crowd,” and “You’ve Got Your Degree, Now What?” 

Additionally, students participated in the career fair, learning more about opportunities and networking with recruiters from top STEM-focused companies. Emily, Christen, Jonathan, and Carlos hosted a booth at the career fair, where they connected with students and provided them with information about internships and full-time opportunities at Kimley-Horn.

Hover over each tile to learn more about the experiences of our people at the SHPE National Convention.
“I appreciated the high caliber of students we came across and their intentionality and investment in attending. Rather than simply checking a box, these students made a concerted effort to come and speak with us. The backgrounds and stories of some of the candidates that I spoke with resonated with me, and I was blown away by their passion.”

Carlos Leal, PE

“The SHPE National Convention showed us the vast amount of high-achieving Hispanic and Latino students we have access to. We were able to reach students from campuses we wouldn’t have been able to reach before and engage with them in an authentic way.”

Jonathan Hernandez

“From a recruiting perspective, I've been to a lot of campus events and interacted with a wide variety of candidates. At SHPE, the genuine passion all of the students had for being there made it a very enjoyable experience for us!”

Emily Young

“We as a firm continue to pursue a workplace of inclusivity and belonging where employees are free to be their authentic selves. There is so much power in events like the SHPE National Convention. Attendees are leaders who are committed to changing their own future, while also changing the future of our workplaces at the same time.”

Christen Steele

SHPE’s commitment to a future of inclusivity and belonging echoes Kimley-Horn’s purpose to provide spaces where every employee can thrive. We enjoyed the opportunity to attend the 2023 SHPE National Convention and look forward to future opportunities to partner with this organization. Learn more about our commitment to diversity at Kimley-Horn here!

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