I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley by two strong, loving Salvadoran immigrants. I come from a first-generation, low-income (FGLI) background and was fortunate enough to attend Swarthmore through the QuestBridge National College Match scholarship and the Swarthmore Philip Evans Scholarship. I began my undergraduate studies with no prior experience in engineering, which made my first two years especially difficult. Coupled with what I felt was a lack of representation in the Engineering Department, these experiences led me to become one of the founding members of the Student Advisory Group for Engineering (SAGE). The formation of SAGE sparked larger conversations around the importance of affinity spaces within the Engineering Department. The final seed was planted by Dr. Sophia Plata, a visiting assistant professor in the department who introduced us to the possibility of starting a SHPE chapter at Swarthmore. Amid some complications back home, I ultimately took a step back from my commitments during my last year. A lovely group of underclassmen, namely Justin Cruz (’25), Chisom Obiora (’25), and Bryan Rosario (’25), would go on to lay the groundwork for Swarthmore’s future SHPE chapter.

My four years at Swarthmore were among the most fulfilling and difficult years of my life. Much of that difficulty stemmed from what I felt was a lack of support for underrepresented students in the Engineering Department. At the same time, I believed deeply in the potential of the department; I believed that we could make room for affinity spaces where students could find community and affirm their experiences. While I only witnessed the fruition of SHPE during my last year, I left with a sense of gratitude and contentment knowing that future underrepresented students would have an outlet that I had wished for during my early years at Swarthmore. Upon graduation, I was honored with the McCabe Engineering Award. I recently completed my master’s degree and I am now pursuing a Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University. I am always happy to connect with current Swarthmore students. Please feel free to reach me at kmurillo@stanford.edu.

– Kevin Murillo