STUDENT CLUB SPOTLIGHT

Multicultural Stem Alliance

Our students are involved in many extra- and co-curricular activities across campus – from athletics to the arts to service and beyond. We host a large number of SECCM-specific clubs that focus generally on the professional development of a subset of our student body (IEEE, ASME, AGC, etc.). Other clubs focus on increasing the sense of belonging and inclusion of some segments of our community – for example, Women in Construction and the Society of Women Engineers. These organizations do a fantastic job of supporting our students and providing opportunities for community, growth, and fun.

To ensure that all students feel this sense of belonging, the Engineering program queried its students about interest in hosting an event with local professional chapters of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and/or the National Society of Black Engineers and in assisting with the event when it occurred. The students who expressed interest took this idea and ran with it, expanding their efforts across campus to create the Multi-cultural STEM Alliance, a group that aims to support all students of color in STEM or STEM-adjacent fields across campus. With support from SECCM, the executive board has tabled in the commons to increase membership and held several general meetings to develop community and provide support. For example, one of these events was focused on minimizing stress during exam periods by hosting a coloring night. The formation of the MSA has generated much enthusiasm among the student members, and we eagerly anticipate the many great initiatives that will emerge from it. The club president, Josh Ongera, expressed his enthusiasm for the newly established multicultural STEM club, stating,

“I am super excited to facilitate the development of our newly formed multicultural STEM club, I am honored to lead a community that celebrates diversity and promotes inclusivity. Our club aims to foster a welcoming environment for students from multicultural backgrounds to explore the vast and exciting world of STEM. Together, we can unite a community that celebrates our differences and fosters a professional and collaborative environment where we can learn from each other and make a meaningful impact in our respective fields. I look forward to working with everyone to promote inclusivity, creativity, and innovation in STEM!”