Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with SHPE President, Arturo Garcia Ovalles

Amplifying Latino voices is a year-round effort that doesn’t end with Hispanic Heritage Month, a sentiment that Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SPHE) President, Arturo Garcia Ovalles (ENG’23), is familiar with. SHPE is the nation’s largest association dedicated to fostering Hispanic leadership in the STEM field, and the Boston University chapter of the organization is no different.

As of last year, Latinos made up 17 percent of the workforce across all occupations, but only 8 percent of the STEM field according to the Pew Research Center.

Let this Hispanic Heritage Month serve as a reminder of all the contributions from the Latino community, but also as a call to action. Narrowing the gap within the STEM workforce starts with opportunities, and SHPE is at the forefront of providing them.

Spark! sat down with Garcia Ovalles to dive deeper into his journey with technology and innovation.

How did you get involved with SHPE?

Arturo: During my freshman year, I made some friends that were in SHPE and they introduced me to the chapter. During my first semester in college, I wasn’t very involved with the chapter and only went to a few meetings. When I went to the Regional Development Conference and spent a few days interacting closely with everyone, I quickly felt welcomed in a community that was very fun and supportive. That same year I joined the executive board.

What are your hopes for the organization this year?

Arturo: Our chapter had a very good start this semester by having the best event in the history of our chapter, in my opinion. We held a picnic at Amory Park where about 50 participants had fun playing soccer, volleyball, cards, and Jenga, had food, and connected with one another. I hope to continue this momentum going forward in all our activities, may that be professional or social.

To you, what is the importance of being Latino in the tech world, especially when there is a lack of diversity within the field?

Arturo: Representation matters. I was the first person in my family to attend college and to learn about the tech world. I have been a mentor to my younger sister who studies Computer Science at Princeton University, and to younger cousins and family friends. By just one person joining the tech world from an underrepresented community and going to college, so many people learn about it and gain hopes of them doing the same or better.

What has your journey in the tech world been like? Do you believe you have experienced certain barriers?

Arturo: I think that the problem stems from the lack of representation of Hispanics in the tech world. Even though I have many family members in the United States, not a single one of them is or knows much about the tech world. In fact, I did not know much about the tech world until I started college. This has definitely been a challenge for me, but it has also helped me learn how to navigate through ambiguity and to make connections along the way.

What words of advice do you have for Latino students who may be interested in the tech world, and to those interested in joining SHPE?

Arturo: I would emphasize the importance of having fun and doing things outside of work that truly matters to us. The tech field is very challenging and it is easy to overwork with low productivity. Having fun is essential to bringing value to our lives and it significantly helps us become more productive at work. Although it is very important to do well in academics, we must remember to build skills and experience relevant to the jobs that we want, and to prepare well for interviews. SHPE has significantly helped me in all these aspects. I have met some of my closest friends through SHPE and developed my professional career by networking and participating in workshops.

What are your future goals and aspirations?

Arturo: As of right now, I’m hoping to work as a Product Manager at a large technology company. My ultimate goal is to significantly improve our lives through innovation, may that be in a company that I work for or in my own.