Class of 2016 HENAAC (Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation) Luminary Honoree Juan Zepeda and Scholar Ana Isabel Espinoza-Agundis, will represent SBCC at the HENAAC Great Minds in STEM™ Conference in Anaheim, California on October 5-9.) Courtesy photo.
SANTA BARBARA — A current student and an alumnus of the Santa Barbara City College Engineering program were both awarded top recognitions by Great Minds in STEM™ for their achievements in engineering and technology. Ana Isabel Espinoza-Agundis, a mechanical engineering major, was awarded a $2,000 scholarship and the title of Class of 2016 HENAAC (Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards) Scholar.Additionally, Raytheon Software Engineer and SBCC alum Juan Zepeda was named one of 13 Luminaries by Great Minds. Both will be recognized at the HENAAC Great Minds in STEM™ Conference in Anaheim, California on October 5-9.
Now in its 28th year of promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) to underserved and underrepresented communities, Great Minds in STEM™ (GMiS) received more than 1,400 applications and granted 146 scholarships totaling over $469,000 this year. Ana Isabel received a Corporate/Federal Agency-Sponsored scholarship from Edison International. GMiS also awarded scholarships in the categories of Special Recognition and In Memoriam/Personal Tribute.
Virginia Estrella, MESA (Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement) Director at SBCC, recommended Ana Isabel and Juan for the honors they received. “Ana is simply an amazing student with a drive to succeed that surpasses many students that I have worked with,” she says. Along with her scholastic achievement, Ana Isabel supports her educational goals by participating in MESA at SBCC and is a member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).
“I plan to transfer to UC Berkeley and then pursue a professional career as the CEO of my own company,” Ana Isabel said. “I am currently a sophomore carrying a school load of 15 units and a workload of 15 hours per week. Additionally, I take care of my younger sibling which, at the moment, it is the biggest responsibility that I have.”
Juan was chosen as one of 13 role models comprised of leaders who represent industry and government as its Class of 2016 HENAAC Luminary Honorees. These STEM professionals are leading, collaborating and initiating key programs and research, and all were selected for their accomplishments that clearly contribute to their organizations’ technical prowess.
Estrella calls former SBCC Engineering/MESA student Juan “a true leader who knows the power of paying it forward.” Juan was the first in his family to pursue a college education and as SHPE President represented the College in numerous conferences, including the National Conference in Washington, D.C. Currently a computer scientist at Raytheon, Juan returns to City College on a regular basis to tutor engineering students as an E-buddies mentor, and has started a foundation with past members of MESA and SHPE to donate a book scholarship and supplies for the annual SHPE Student Competition. He has also brought industry into the Engineering program by forming the first MESA internship, in which he and a Raytheon colleague have assisted and mentored five MESA students. The pair created and implemented a software program and necessary computer hardware that will greatly assist the program going forward.
Of the new computer innovations, Estrella says, “The benefit to the students was impactful. I saw the students who were part of the team transform and grow in a way that is difficult to describe, but it has had a long-lasting, positive impact on their lives.”
“As a Latino engineer, I feel it’s one’s duty to give back to the community because I did not make the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) journey alone,” says Juan. “I had many peers, great mentors, and hard-working parents whot have influenced me and motivated me to say ‘Si, se puede!’
“Giving back to the community so students pursue STEM is like playing with Legos,” Juan continues. “You provide students with the building blocks of physics, math, science and a touch of creativeness and you have the start of a future scientist, engineer, or mathematician. I want to live in a high-tech future where I inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians because right now I am giving my mentors their high-tech future world.”
The theme of this year’s HENAAC Conference is “Excellence Through Diversity.”
About Santa Barbara City College: Founded in 1909, Santa Barbara City College currently serves approximately 25,000 students each semester who enroll in courses for transfer preparation, career education, and foundational skills and an additional 4,500 enroll in lifelong learning classes. SBCC was the 2013- 2015 national co-winner of the prestigious Aspen Institute Prize for Community College Excellence. The college was recognized for its quality and focus in four areas: facilitating underrepresented and minority student success, student learning outcomes, degree completion and transfer rates, and labor market success in securing good jobs after college.
Our Mission: As a public community college dedicated to the success of each student…Santa Barbara City College provides students a diverse learning environment that inspires curiosity and discovery, promotes global responsibility and fosters opportunity for all.