On Nov. 21, the Spanish students took a field trip to Gilbert Community College to learn about potential jobs in STEM. The students learned about different careers they could have through STEM, and how having a job in STEM could potentially benefit them.
Spanish teacher Norma Rios was in charge of the field trip alongside Spanish teacher Luis Diaz. She elaborated, “It used to be…an Intel sponsored event where they attempted to draw girls in stem fields, particularly underrepresented girls such as African-American and Latina girls that just don’t think of technology as an option. It switched over last year to IGNITE, to be more inclusive, to both boys and girls.” Though they moved to bringing in both genders, they are still focused on bringing minority and underrepresented groups into the field, as many students don’t have the opportunity to enter these fields.
Junior Irais Hernandez, an AP Spanish five student, loved the IGNITE field trip, she stated, “It’s important to have these field trips because it shows that there’s more career options out there for everyone.” I. Hernandez was not really considering a career in STEM, because she plans to become a future police officer in Gilbert. “We had lunch and then we sat and talked with them and asked them questions and then we were asked questions.”
Another Junior, Emily Hernandez, an AP Spanish 4 student also enjoyed the IGNITE field trip. “My favorite part was going with my two other friends, one whose in AP Spanish 4 and one whose in Spanish one, and it was fun learning about all of the unique STEM programs at the end.” What inspired E. Hernandez most was the three dimensional printing lab, which looked interesting.
According to EBSCO, Hispanics only hold about 11.2% of white collar jobs, and in 2025, that number should definitely be larger. It is important that students in minority groups are shown that they have a chance to get jobs they enjoy. The IGNITE field trip gave students a chance to discuss their futures in a comfortable environment surrounded by their classmates.
