Medtronic Foundation – Latino STEM Students Scholarship Program

Medtronic Foundation – Veronica Borras-Serrano was relieved to learn that she had been chosen as a scholar for the first class of the Medtronic Foundation and SHPE fellowship. 
 
According to Borras-Serrano, “my parents had health concerns that led the family to accumulate significant debt.” She went on to say it affected the amount of money for school. I can now focus on other things I need for school and pay my tuition thanks to this assistance from the Medtronic Foundation. She is one of the 16 recipients of the financial boost. 
 
The Foundation collaborated with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers through the Hispanic Latino Network (HLN), a resource group for Medtronic employees (SHPE). Together, they chose deserving people to represent Latinos in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math in the future.

Medtronic Foundation

Having an effect

The funds will help Borras-Serrano, a junior at the University of Puerto Rico, pay for her industrial engineering degree. She claimed that it may set her up for a career in which she removes barriers. more specifically, a profession that promotes care for people like her parents that is equitable. The scholarship will also enable Guillermo A. Rullan, a first-year student at the University of Puerto Rico, get ready for a future where he can make a difference. Rullan stated, “I always wanted to build machines that could improve the planet. I wish to help Puerto Rico in particular since it is a wonderful location and deserves to be great.

Changing the direction of STEM

Rullan and Borras-Serrano stand in for the many young people who wish to explore their options in STEM but are constrained by obstacles including a lack of role models, a sense of belonging, and cost. 
 
The Medtronic Foundation ScholarSHPE programme is a component of a bigger effort to enhance the quality of life for underrepresented and underserved populations. In order to help Latinos like Rullan and Borras-Serrano break new ground and create better futures for themselves, the Foundation is collaborating with HLN. 
 
The Medtronic Foundation and SHPE are collaborating with Gerardo Zuniga, director of the Project Management Office in core quality services and member of the HLN leadership team, to identify employee volunteers who will coach and mentor scholarship candidates. 
 
According to Zuniga, the Foundation aids students in addressing the issue of affordability, and HLN also establishes a line of sight into the representation that already exists in the area to aid in motivating the following generation. He explained, “SHPE refers to its members as La Familia. Family is very important to Hispanics, and SHPE is our extended family. As a result of Medtronic employee volunteers mentoring scholars, SHPE has become a part of La Familia. 
 
This first round of Medtronic Foundation ScholarSHPE grantees will gain from community-building and targeted networking activities in addition to goal-oriented mentorship. According to Borras-Serrano, this kind of beneficial support should continue. She remarked, “I strongly encourage Latino students to apply for this chance.” It has already been quite significant to me.