Raíces y Rutas: Routes to internships in STEM

Cal Poly Humboldt has adopted a STEM fellowship program to bridge the gap between academic learning and professional achievement. Raíces y Rutas is a new 14-month fellowship that places 10 students into paid internships with local employers, helping them build career skills and an entrepreneurial mindset to launch careers in STEM fields. The program views a student’s roots as a professional strength.

The program came about through a collaboration between academic leadership and campus diversity advocates, funded by the Global HSI Equity Innovation Hub at CSU Northridge. Bori Mazzag, associate dean in the College of Natural Resources and Sciences, was inspired after learning about the opportunity.

“The directors of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) showed me this particular call,” Mazzag said. “I got very excited because I realized that it could be used directly for students and help them get these professional experiences.”

For Mazzag, who came to the U.S. from Hungary driven by her parents’ belief in education, the program’s dual name reflects a vital philosophy. “I think it’s very important for people to show up authentically, so that’s the roots, the Raíces. You want to feel confident in who your people are and what your community is. But then you have to find your path, the Rutas.”

Jordy Lopez, a fifth-year energy systems engineering student, felt drawn to the fellowship’s mission right away.

“It gives access to opportunities that would otherwise be locked behind, to connect with other peers with different backgrounds but similar upbringings,” Lopez said. “It immediately brought to mind that this is an opportunity for people that look like me. It’s an opportunity for me to show off not just what I can do, but what the community can do.”

Lopez works with Dera Analytics, gathering data from the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). His goal is to help smaller microgrids in underrepresented areas build resilience and participate in energy markets.

Jonathan David Juarez, a double major in data science and economics, learned about the fellowship when Mazzag presented it in his class. Juarez secured a role with Marine Advanced Research Exploration, applying high- level skills to challenges like offshore wind and ocean sustainability.

“It is quite scaled up from what you normally learn in class,” Juarez said. “The problems that you learn about are existing on a grander scale.”

The program runs through the end of May, but given local employer enthusiasm, the college has provided additional funding to expand hiring. Mazzag remains optimistic about securing future funding, advising students to look for application announcements in April.