By: Ashmar Mandou

As the HACEMOS-Chicago Chapter President, a Hispanic/Latino Association part of AT&T, Veronica Espinoza enjoys every opportunity she has to speak with Latino students about the importance of seeking higher education, especially in the areas of science and technology. “There are growing opportunities in the fields of science, technology, and engineering and it is particularly important to have more Latinos, especially women, working in Fortune 500 companies, such as AT&T,” said Espinoza. “So the work we do through HACEMOS engages students to realize their potential and provide them with the resources to achieve their goals.”

Part of Espinoza’s role as president is to develop year long activities, such as conferences and career days that provide at-risk students with the tools to succeed academically and spark their interest in science, technology, and engineering. Recently, Espinoza gave a lecture to Latino students from various public schools around the city, during HACEMOS’s annual National High Technology Day. “The conferences, the workshops, the toy drives, the scholarships that we hold throughout the year are all intended to benefit the Latino community,” said Espinoza. “The best part of my job is being able to provide students the skills to reach the next level of their education. Everything is within reach, but you have to work hard for it and search for resources that can help you along the way.”

Espinoza can attest to the importance of searching for resources and assembling a great support team, through her experiences growing up in Little Village. “I definitely faced some challenges, like most youth do today,” said Espinoza. “But those challenges did not deter me from achieving what I believed was possible. And I think for any student who shares a similar background can see that it does not matter if you come from you can reach your goals. Just go out and contact organizations, like HACEMOS and search for resources.” To learn more about the work of HACEMOS, visit www.ebiznet.att.com/hacemos/