While Bonnell said the whole event was memorable, one aspect stood out in particular to the second-year Clark Scholar and industrial engineering major — the people who made it possible.
“My favorite part of the whole Academic Olympiad experience was getting to know and interacting with the SHPE National Convention volunteers and sponsors for the event from Qualcomm and IBM,” Bonnell said. “They were very kind, encouraging and welcoming to the participants. They were happy to be there laughing with us while challenging our minds with difficult 'Jeopardy'-style questions.”
Bonnell, who intends to double minor in engineering leadership development and Six Sigma, has been involved with SHPE for four semesters, and currently serves as its fundraising chair. She will be furthering her engineering education this summer as an operations intern for Trane Technologies in Davidson, North Carolina.
Vasquez, a third-year energy engineering major in the College of Earth and Mineral Science and international student from Honduras, reflected on the moment when the team realized they had won the competition.
“It was a surreal moment,” Vasquez said. “Nearing the end, we were tied with the University of Houston chapter, so we were put head-to-head on a tie-breaker question. Thanks to Gabriel, we were crowned the winners. We jumped up and down, accidentally flipping the chairs we were sitting on, and were congratulated by the sponsors, Qualcomm and IBM. We felt on top of the world for the rest of the conference.”
Vasquez has been involved with SHPE since his first year in college, and attended his first SHPE conference this year to participate in the Academic Olympiad. After graduation, Vasquez hopes to be involved in the generation of power through renewable energy, particularly wind and solar.
The competition was hard fought, but the team said they felt like winners even before they secured victory for Penn State’s SHPE chapter.
“We knew very well that the competition would be tough, not only because we would be going against teams from universities all over the country, but also since we had no prior blueprint to the competition, given that no one currently in the Penn State SHPE chapter had participated,” Vasquez said. “Gabriel, Grace and I were excited prior to even winning the final because we were already proud to be putting Penn State in the top seven.”
A fourth-year Schreyer Honors College student studying mechanical engineering, Gayoso reflected on the role SHPE played in both his professional and personal growth.
“SHPE at Penn State provides not only endless opportunities for professional development, but a community welcoming to all new members,” Gayoso said. “Our chapter is run by a dedicated group of driven professionals who are committed to fostering growth, but also genuinely enjoy spending time together.”
Gayoso joined SHPE after hearing about the program from a Multicultural Engineering Program mentor and has been an active member during each of his eight semesters at Penn State. After graduation, Gayoso plans to work at Boeing as an advanced structural analysis engineer.
Gayoso encouraged students interested in the SHPE to get involved.
“Our chapter’s collaborative spirit empowers its members to host an almost overwhelming amount of social, outreach and networking events,” he said. “It has been a truly unique and unforgettable experience to be a member of such a vibrant and supportive familia.”
Students interested in Penn State SHPE can join 165 other active members at a general body meeting, where sponsors like PepsiCo, ABB, Turner Construction Company, Blue Origin and more make campus visits to speak with club members. The chapter welcomes all new members and encourages Hispanic-identifying students of any class standing to join.
To learn more about membership and stay up-to-date on upcoming events, follow the Penn State SHPE Instagram page.