Chemical Engineering student Ashleigh Herrera elected to SHPE regional office

Ashleigh Herrera, a senior in chemical and biomolecular engineering, has been elected regional undergraduate student representative for Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Region 3.

Herrera began her one-year term on July 1. Among the duties of the office, Herrera will oversee student chapters throughout Region 3, which includes the states of Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and working to connect students at member institutions with other SHPE opportunities, such as networking with other engineers and with potential employers.

“This position gives Nebraska a bigger stage within SHPE and its partners. Many companies are partners with this national organization because they believe in diversifying their communities,” said Herrera, a former president and vice president of the Nebraska SHPE chapter.

“I know that SHPE was integral for my continuation in engineering and continued success. I hope growing this community within the school and region will motivate others to either join or continue with engineering. I hope to serve as a role model for students in underrepresented groups to see how engineering can elevate ourselves and our community. I also hope to show to others in the region and even nation that UNL has a strong Hispanic community within the college of engineering.”

With Region 3 being the geographically largest in SHPE, Herrera knows it might be difficult to develop a sense of family among the chapters but is making that one of her top priorities.

“My primary goals in this position are to increase membership and increase the sense of community as well as resources with each chapter. I want every student, no matter if their chapter is ten students or fifty students, to know that SHPE will support them in all their endeavors,” Herrera said.