Supporting the potential of Black STEM students at Adobe Creative Campus San Jose State University

Group of students from San Jose State University.

The Black Alliance of Scientists and Engineers (BASE) at San Jose State University (SJSU) follows the same guiding principles as its parent organization, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE): to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers and scientists. This means creating a community that encourages Black STEM students to meet each other, support each other academically and personally, and give them the tools that will help them succeed in the future.

As an Adobe Creative Campus, a program where universities share a commitment to digital literacy as part of their strategic goals, and with close ties to Silicon Valley, SJSU is particularly well-positioned to help future STEM students find a home. For the university’s chapter of BASE, this provides a unique opportunity to show Black students that there are opportunities awaiting them in technology, scientific, and engineering fields.

“We hear a lot of young Black voices who feel unsure that they would be welcome in the engineering and scientific organizations here because they’re so used to being the only Black face in their class,” says Dr. Folarin Erogbogbo, associate professor of Biomedical Engineering, advisor of BASE, and chairperson of Black Engineering Week. “By introducing them to Black professionals from companies across Silicon Valley, we can provide valuable networking opportunities and show young Black STEM students that a community awaits them.”

BASE held its inaugural Black Engineer Week (BEW) in 2021 as part of the organization’s goal to increase the number of successful Black engineering professionals in Silicon Valley. Three years later, the event continues to grow. BEW 2023 had more than 50 students from SJSU and across the United States attend the week-long event, where they socialized, learned, and met with professionals from Adobe and half a dozen other Silicon Valley companies. The event aligns with Adobe’s commitment to supporting minority-serving institutions and their students while working to empower the next generation of students with equity and access to career readiness skills.

“BEW delivers unique access to the best STEM companies in the world,” says Dr. Erogbogbo. “This kind of initiative sticks in peoples’ minds and has great potential to support recruitment and retention rates for Black STEM students at SJSU. But most importantly, it helps remove the cultural isolation by helping young and incoming black students find mentors and build a community that can last a lifetime.”

Group of students from San Jose State University.

Connecting students with professionals in Silicon Valley

BEW 2023 was held in San Jose over June 16 to June 23, 2023. According to Osazae Aiguwurhuo, graduate student assistant to Dr. Erogbogbo and master’s student in Industrial and Systems Engineering, the inclusion of Juneteenth was no coincidence.

“Juneteenth is a reminder of the strength, potential, and resilience of the Black community,” says Aiguwurhuo. “It’s not only a good message for Black students, but it helps raise awareness for companies to help ask them what they’re doing to support representation and Black STEM students at all levels.”

The week was full of informal and formal events, from golf and hiking socials to showcases, presentations, and breakout sessions. But the highlights were a series of tours and talks at Adobe and half a dozen other Silicon Valley companies. Students had an opportunity to speak with actual professionals and discuss a wide range of projects that students could potentially be working on one day.

Group of students from San Jose State University.

Anaiya Williamson, a junior studying Industrial Engineering at SJSU, always enjoyed STEM subjects, but never considered studying engineering because it seemed too intimidating and complex. “I had never seen a Black female engineer, and it wasn’t until high school that I started to challenge those beliefs,” says Williamson.

Attending BEW helped her build a network that will support her throughout the rest of her college journey.

“Having the opportunity make connections within the industry is invaluable for so many reasons,” says Williamson. “It exposes you to job opportunities and roles that you might have never heard of. And it’s amazing to see people who look like you in position that you want to be in, because it makes your goals feel more attainable.”

Another attendee, Alexandria Nesbeth, a junior at SJSU in Mechanical Engineering, said that she initially laughed at the idea of becoming an engineering student because she couldn’t imagine someone who looks like her becoming a successful engineer.

“Connecting with Black professionals has helped ease my feelings about being a minority in engineering,” notes Nesbeth

She recommended that students of all ages should take advantage of BEW to get a greater sense of the professional STEM world. “Black Engineering Week helped me see that there are companies like Adobe that take diversity seriously,” says Nesbeth. “We were able to see the Black employees and Black networks that are pockets of communities in, what usually is, an isolating field of engineering.”

Building up the next generation of STEM students

Aiguwurhuo hopes that BEW will continue to grow and spread the word about opportunities that exist for Black STEM students in Silicon Valley.

“One thing we want to improve at is convincing students to start networking early,” says Aiguwurhuo. “Even in freshman year, it’s a good idea to meet professionals, build connections, and start getting a better idea of what they want out of their careers. With events like BEW, we help Black STEM students see that there are people who look like them throughout the STEM field. Hopefully it will inspire them to continue their education and become a success story for future classes.”

Learn more about Black Engineering Week at SJSU here.

SJSU Black Engineering Supporters:

Adobe Supporters:

https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2023/08/01/celebrating-student-storytelling-planet-forward-adobe-creative-campus-george-washington-university https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2023/04/05/san-jose-state-university-brings-diversity-storytelling-honorsx-program-adobe-creative-cloud https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2023/02/21/wholives-teams-up-students-university-of-utah-adobe-promote-clean-water-around-world