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Building inspiration

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When Miguel Cabrera was in high school, he would help his dad pick grapes in the summertime.

“He would always tell me, ‘If you aren’t going to college, these fields will always be here for you,’” said Cabrera, who grew up in the northern Kern County city of Delano.

Although Cabrera admittedly was not the best student, he still realized early on how important education was, he said.

“No one else in my family went to college, few even finished high school ... graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo was a huge accomplishment for my family,” Cabrera said.

Today, Cabrera is a petroleum engineer for Chevron in Elk Hills — but his work goes beyond that. Cabrera also spends time inspiring young Latinos through his involvement with the South Central Valley Chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SPHE).

A group of city engineers in Los Angeles founded the SPHE in 1974, followed by numerous professional and student chapters all across the nation. The Bakersfield SPHE chapter began in January.

The goal of SPHE members is to serve as role models for the Hispanic community, while providing educational, cultural and networking opportunities. 

SHPE encourages young Hispanics to join the fields of science, math, engineering and technology. The National SHPE Mission can be found on their Web site: www.shpe.org and states:

“We are brought together by heritage, social responsibility and the desire to improve the equality of all people through the use science and technology.  We value excellence in education, professional pursuits and leadership. We obtain excellence through integrity, empowerment, achievement, diversity and continuous improvement.”

For Cabrera, inspiring young students to pursue a future in science or technology is the main reason he participates in SHPE — especially since he knows how influential adults can be on youths.

He recalls being in 10th grade and having his geometry teacher as an inspiration, someone who helped him see beyond his own expectations.

“I always tell students I was just like them — I wasn’t a perfect student, but I wanted to do something meaningful with my life,” Cabrera said. “I was always good in math, and one of my instructors correlated geometry to architecture. I thought maybe someday I could learn to build my own house!”

This early experience motivated Cabrera to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.

It’s this emphasis on students and education which the SPHE works endlessly to promote.

In October, the group hosted the Sierra Family Science Night at Sierra Middle School, an event that allowed parents and students to participate in hands-on science projects. With approximately 200 people attending, the activities were intended to introduce students to physics and engineering, Cabrera said.

The kids were able to discover what powers an airplane or vehicle, using plastic and cardboard models, and were thrilled by the rockets made with 2-liter bottles, he said.
According to Cabrera, the evening was a great opportunity to teach students about various technology.

"This is why we go out into the community, to give students hands-on experience,” he said. “I love being able to help a kid learn how something flies, like a plane or a rocket. Finding solutions through such hands-on experience advocates the field of science and technology to students.”
 
Cabrera added that most of the parents wanted to see what their child was learning in science class, and were especially impressed that other Hispanics were encouraging their children to go to college.

Although the local chapter of the SPHE doesn’t have any more local events planned this year, the members did participate in the National SPHE Conference from Nov. 12 through 16, in Phoenix, Ariz.

The SHPE South Central Valley Chapter is intended to be a resource to the community, and while it focuses on Hispanic students, anyone interested is encouraged to join the group, Cabrera said.

In fact, SHPE members come from a variety of backgrounds and work in numerous fields; the local chapter has members who work for Chevron, Key Energy, Dreyer’s, Frito Lay, and Halliburton.

There is a $45 yearly fee for members, which is primarily used for local scholarships and events, further promoting the field of science and engineering to kids.

If you are interested, visit the National SHPE Web site at: www.shpe.org or contact Cabrera at: miguel@chevron.com