Futuras Engineers is a new registered student organization at MSU whose focus is to provide Hispanic women in engineering support in excelling academically, finding career opportunities and achieving their personal goals. According to the organization’s president, Airiell Paz Rodriguez, the idea for starting Futuras Engineers started with a feeling that there needed to be more community support for Hispanic women in the engineering and STEM space at MSU.

Paz Rodriguez felt that there needed to be an initiative to help Latina students feel like they could get involved in academic spaces and know they will have the support they need to navigate a challenging academic environment. Many Futuras Engineers executive board members agreed with the same sentiment and even shared that they have personal experience feeling alone in STEM spaces, especially since it’s not uncommon to be the only Hispanic woman in a particular class.

Futuras Engineers is a specialized group that wants to make an impact while serving as a space where students can relate to each other and make sure that the Hispanic women in STEM have the resources and knowledge to thrive at MSU. Alejandra Paredes-Rosas, Futuras Engineers’ secretary, says a goal of the organization is to extend opportunities for mentorship to their new members.

“Futuras Engineers wants to provide guidance for students and create a space where they can relate to each other and feel comfortable asking questions,” says Paredes-Rosas.