The Latinx in STEM club held its first meeting on Thursday, February 6 to get more Latinx students to consider a career in science. One of the club’s primary focuses is addressing underrepresentation for Latinx people in areas of STEM and bringing together the Wilson community to have fun and connect over shared interests.

The club’s organizer, junior Isabel Lopez-Santiago, noticed a lack of Latinx people involved in science and math and created the club to raise awareness and try to fix the issue. “I want people to think about Latinx people in STEM the same way that they would think about anyone else in STEM,” Lopez-Santiago said. She aims to accomplish this goal through group discussions, presentations, and fun activities all surrounding Latinx people in STEM.

Contrary to what the name might suggest, the club wants to get non-Latinx students involved as well. “The club is dedicated specifically to Latinx students in STEM, but you don’t have to be Latinx or even in STEM to join,” Lopez-Santiago said. “I want people to think about it as a fun, inclusive space.”

At their first gathering, the club started by challenging members to a Snap-Circuit battle, where contestants raced against one another to complete an electric circuit. “We’ve only had one meeting so far, but I really enjoyed getting the chance to meet new people who are interested in the same things I am. I also had fun playing with Snap-Circuits,” senior Maya Bravo said.

The central purpose of the club is to foster inclusivity in STEM, and they enthusiastically recruit hallway passersby and both Latinx and non-Latinx students. “I hope that students can get a safe space in which they can appreciate the wonders of STEM, and for Latinx people, in particular, I hope that they can have a sense of community here at Wilson, given that Latinx people are often underrepresented in STEM,” Lopez-Santiago said.

While the club is still in its infancy, participants like Bravo think that the club has a promising future with plenty to offer. “I’m really excited to learn more about important present-day and historical figures in the STEM fields, and I’m looking forward to getting to know more of my like-minded peers at school. I also think we’ll have some exciting projects to work on in the club, and I’m ready to have fun with those,” Bravo said.