A Career-Changing Week: CU Denver SHPE at the 2025 SHPE National Convention

This October, fifteen members of CU Denver’s Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) traveled to Philadelphia for the 2025 SHPE National Conference. With over 12,000 attendees, SHPE Nationals is the country’s largest gathering of Hispanic engineers, STEM leaders, and recruiters. It’s recognized as one of the most influential professional development and recruitment events for students pursuing careers in engineering, robotics, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and more.

This year’s outcomes underscore CU Denver’s commitment to empowering diverse engineering talent through high-impact learning experiences. Students completed more than 15 interviews, earned internship offers, built meaningful connections, and represented the university as emerging leaders. They also engaged with top employers such as Apple, Honeywell, Amazon, Eaton, and Texas Instruments. 

For many, the week was more than a conference—it was a career-changing experience, providing clarity about goals, expanded networks, and strengthened confidence.

Opening Doors and Finding Clarity

For many attendees, the conference was their first, illuminating new possibilities. Mechanical engineering student Tu Bui reflected on how SHPE Nationals helped him see the bigger picture.

“This conference opened up way more doors for me,” Bui said. “Being surrounded with highly motivated engineering students motivated me to shoot for the stars and to continue challenging myself in many ways.”

The career fair exposed him to a wide range of industries from aerospace to energy to advanced manufacturing.  “The career fair showed me all the paths I could take as a mechanical engineer. It sparked my passion in several different careers that I might potentially want to go in,” he explained. “I gained clarity and I’m more motivated than ever.”

Bui completed two interviews and returned with a renewed commitment to sharpening his skills.

“Networking with individuals who have already been in the industry really helped me get an insight on what recruiters were really looking for,” says Bui. “This experience motivates me to push myself harder every day and to continue improving myself in every way possible.”

Networking that Leads to Opportunities 

Robotics-focused student Kameren Kelly said the 2025 SHPE National Convention stood out even compared to other national conferences they had attended.

“The best conference I’ve ever attended. Every student at the career fair had the opportunity to talk to most companies. It also felt easy talking to just about anyone, whether it is a recruiter, a student, or even a professional wandering around. I made at least 25 connections on LinkedIn just by conversing in line or on the elevator.”

But it was one conversation with a senior automation engineer that made the biggest impact: “Hearing about her engineering journey was very inspirational, as I found many similarities in our experiences,” says Kelly. “This conversation solidified my resolve to pursue robotics.”

For Kelly, networking is of the most valuable elements of the conference.  “Technical skills are very important and will define performance in an industry; however, the ability to network will open the door for so many opportunities. I was able to land my first internship offer from a reference. This was entirely made by making meaningful connections, and this SHPE conference offered further growth for the same networking skills.”

Kelly also encouraged future CEDC students to take advantage of national conferences and campus resources to build these networks. 

“CU Denver has so many resources dedicated to creating communities for engineers that also have national conferences (SWE, NSBE, SASE, SHPE). It is very important for students to attend networking/workshop events at school, build resumes/portfolios, and find leadership roles.”

Exploring New Career Paths

For computer science student Enrrique Perez Alvarez, SHPE Nationals provided both guidance and inspiration. “I gained confidence and clarity about my future. I initially expected to attend only the career fair, but the conference ended up offering so much more,” says Alvarez.

“What stood out the most was the strong sense of community. Connecting with recruiters, company representatives, and other SHPE attendees felt welcoming and motivating. It was inspiring to see other students getting on-site interviews and offers, and even more motivating to meet Hispanic engineers from major tech companies who were once in the same position I am now.”

“Companies aren’t looking for perfection—they want clarity and curiosity,” he said. Though he didn’t receive an on-site offer, the conference directly led to three follow-up internship interviews after returning home. “The opportunities are there if you reach for them,” he added.

Shaping Careers and Building Community

From landing interviews with Fortune 100 companies to discovering new career paths and building lifelong networks, CU Denver’s SHPE chapter continues to provide experiences that accelerate student futures. The 2025 SHPE National Convention reinforced a key truth: when students have access to national stages, supportive communities, and industry-driven experiences, they thrive.

For many participants, SHPE Nationals was more than a conference—it was a turning point: a week that clarified career goals, sparked ambition, and strengthened confidence as emerging engineers ready to make an impact.

CU Denver’s College of Engineering, Design, and Computing  is proud to support these transformative experiences, empowering the next generation of Hispanic engineers, innovators, and leaders to not just navigate the future, but shape it.

Get Involved

Alongside groups like NSBE, SWE, and SASE, SHPE helps students build careers, connect with mentors, and access national opportunities. CU Denver students can join the chapter by attending events, workshops, and networking sessions—open to anyone looking to grow skills, expand their network, and be part of a community that celebrates identity, ambition, and engineering excellence.