LATINO Magazine recently presented AHORA Student Days in Raleigh-Durham, NC and Austin,TX. These events bring together high school students with outstanding role models from corporate America, the Federal government, U.S. Armed Forces and other careers. Each AHORA Student Day consisted of an interactive panel in which students could ask questions of the speakers and learn about career opportunites in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

In Raleigh-Durham, the AHORA Student Day was hosted by Cisco Systems at their campus in Research Triange Park’s (RTP) booming hi-tech corridor. The audience of over 150 students from local high schools were welcomed by Brienne Pasick, Executive director of the North Carolina Society of Hispanic Professionals (NCSHP). The keynote speakers were two Cisco executives:  Ana Pinczuk, Vice President, Technical support within the Cisco Services organization; and Jorge Cateriano, Director of Technical Services for Latin America. The roundtable discussion focused on career and education, and panelists included Rene Daughtry, Advanced Services Lead Project Manager, Cisco Systems; Jessica Perianza, a student at North Carolina State University and Vice President-External of her school chapter of SHPE; Albert Vallejo, Software Development Engineer, MetLife; and Cruz Marrero, GSK. Many thanks to the members of Conexion at Cisco in RTP, including Jenison Dominguez and Juan del Villar for all their assistance.

The AHORA Student Day in Austin took place at the Emma Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center near Ausin’s trendy downtown. Students were welcomed by Lawrence Romo, Director of the Selective Service System, who described the importance of registering for young men upon turning 18. The panelists included Mark Madrid, president of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC); Anna Sanchez, Vice President and Business Banking Manager, Wells Fargo; and Adrianna Bernal, Vice President, Public Affairs, AT&T.

Many thanks to Cisco Systems, MetLife, GSK, NCHSP, Selective Service System, Wells Fargo, AT&T, GAHCC, Emma Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, the participating schools, students and teachers, the panelists and speakers, and all our other friends and partners for making these AHORA Student Days a success. ¡Gracias!

Brienne Pasick