Students Attend Virtual Conference
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Cal Poly Pomona students can’t travel to conferences because of the coronavirus, but five Huntley College of Agriculture students didn’t let that stop them thanks to a donor’s generous gift.
The students attended the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ 34th Annual Conference, “Championing Hispanic Higher Education: Fostering Excellence and Social Justice,” Oct. 26-28.
The conference was held entirely online and featured the ¡Adelante! Leadership Institute as a track for undergraduate students.
“I was interested on how the conference would be virtually, but they had a good system by having us use the EventMobi app to navigate about the conference,” said Holly Diaz, a senior in nutrition from Hacienda Heights. “It was simple to navigate and I obtained a lot of helpful information.”
The students were able to attend thanks to a generous donation from Richard and Janis Frencer. Richard Frencer (’67, agronomy) is a longtime agricultural consultant and independent food production professional, and he and his wife have donated to the college to help students find success in their agricultural careers.
The ¡Adelante! Leadership Institute provided students networking opportunities with corporations, graduate schools, federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
In addition, organizations offered sessions on everything from marketing, corporate social responsibility and financial literacy, to mentoring, job interviewing tips, and resume development.
“I learned so many useful tips and tricks that I can use in my future career,” said Diana Orozco, a senior in nutrition from Whittier. “I feel more prepared for the ‘real world.’”
The most interesting things Orozco learned during the conference were the importance of having an elevator speech and tips to improve it.
The conference helped Diaz determine that she wants to work as a food safety supervisor at a company like Kellogg’s.
“I was able to connect with both Kellogg’s and the USDA, and they were impressed with my qualifications and would be in touch with me about an internship,” she said.
Among the workshops that Celia Escobar attended were presentations on personal branding, elevator speeches, and dealing with “imposter syndrome” or persistently feeling inadequate despite experiencing success.
The nutrition major found the latter workshop especially helpful. Although she has made the Dean’s List and become an ag ambassador, Escobar said she had difficulty accepting her achievements.
“This workshop not only helped me gain my confidence, but also has helped me develop my personal brand so I can carry that into my future career as a sports nutritionist,” the first-generation college student said. “This conference really helped me be comfortable in my own skin and where I am at.”
Food and nutrition student Natali Mendez attended workshops on networking, job interviewing and developing her resume.
“If I had not attended HACU, I could say that my knowledge about other careers would still be minimal and that I would not be seeing my goals as achievable as I do now,” she said. “Interacting with students from Puerto Rico, all over the states, and even my second home, Mexico, was unbelievable.”
Plant science major Christian Ordaz found that many speakers talked about being open minded with their career goals. That resonated with Ordaz who has been considering cancer research and development as a career with his experience in plant science.
“My wife was diagnosed with Stage 4, triple-negative breast cancer, and one thing that I learned through this unfortunate situation is learning to be adaptable and resilient because life will throw you curveballs, and we must be prepared to adjust to them,” he said.
A virtual conference also allowed Ordaz and Mendez to attend despite having family responsibilities.
“It was great, because it was convenient for me and I didn't feel guilty leaving town to attend the conference, because of my wife’s condition,” Ordaz said.
Mendez could not have attended the conference if it meant traveling out of state.
“Attending a virtual conference allowed me to be home taking care of my siblings and working while also networking and learning at the comfort of my home,” she said.