From YWISE Beginnings, Jonsson School Seniors Make History as Grads

May 13, 2019

Jocelyn Linares will celebrate several firsts when she is recognized Wednesday for earning a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from The University of Texas at Dallas.

She will be the first engineer — and the first college graduate — in her family. In addition, Linares and Sonia Torres will be the first two participants from the University’s Young Women in Science and Engineering (YWISE) Investigators program to graduate from UT Dallas.

YWISE Investigators began in 2012 to inspire more women from underrepresented communities in Dallas-area high schools to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering or math.

Both Linares and Torres will earn their degrees from the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. Torres will receive a Bachelor of Science in computer science.

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Recent Articles

• March 14, 2019 – Female STEM Students Create YWISE Alumni Group for Wiser Future
• September 11, 2017 – Professor Earns Tech Titans Award for Years of Mentoring Women in STEM Fields

Eligibility Requirements:

• Be classified as a high school junior or high school senior at a participating school
• Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher

Participant Expectations:

• Select one project from the list of possible projects (to be provided) or create your own
• Program participants must consult with their “circle of mentors”:
  • School teacher on a weekly basis
  • College student on a weekly basis
  • Industry professionals on a monthly basis
  • UT Dallas faculty member as needed
• Attend orientation at the Kick Off Meeting
• Attend communication/presentation training
• Attend an industry visit
• Submit timely project status report to student mentors and teachers
• Program participants must present project on the final Poster Session Day

Eligibility Requirements:

• Be a student majoring in a field of Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Material Science, or related field
• Be classified as a college junior, college senior or graduate student
• Be at least 18 years old
• Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Have personal transportation or ability to navigate the DART transportation system
• Have a sincere desire to help adolescent students achieve their project goals
• Have strong listening skills and practical problem-solving skills, including ability to suggest options and alternatives

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Develop at least 2 research projects proposals (abstracts) for the program to be used for the participants to choose from
• Communicate with the team on a weekly basis (via e-mail, Skype, phone, etc.) and meet them in person once a month
• Work with one team of students in choosing and developing the project by providing guidance and offering, support, alternatives and feedback
• Help the team set goals in order to carry out/complete above mentioned project and monitor progress towards these goals
• Act as a resource person to the team by sharing knowledge, skills, and experiences facilitating the team’s reflection on experiences throughout the project
• Work with the team, teacher, and UT Dallas Program Coordinator to correct problems that might occur and to maximize the learning experience for the team
• Enhance team’s awareness of and belief in their own potential
• Provide each student, from the team, information about college and professional experiences (i.e. alma mater, college preparation resources, employer, type of work, etc.)

Apply to be a college mentor:

• 2019-2020 YWISEI College Mentor Application

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Work with one team of students in choosing and developing the project by providing guidance and offering, support, alternatives and feedback
• Communicate with the team at least once per month
• Act as a resource person to the team by sharing knowledge, skills, and experiences facilitating the team’s reflection on experiences throughout the project
• Enhance the team’s awareness of and belief in their own potential
• Provide information about college and professional industry experiences (i.e. alma mater, college preparation resources, employment, type of work, etc.)
• Review selected reports and provide program participants with constructive feedback

Apply to be an industry mentor:

• 2019-2020 YWISEI Industry Mentor Application

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Help recruit students into the program to form teams of 3-4 people
• Work with the team during the proposal and development of the selected project by offering guidance, support, alternatives and feedback
• Meet with the team on a weekly basis
• Help the team set goals and monitor progress towards these goals in coordination with industry professional and college mentors
• Review selected reports and provide program participants with constructive feedback
• Act as a resource & supervisory person to the team during their experiments
• Enhance the team’ awareness of and belief in their own potential
• Work with the UT Dallas Program Coordinator to plan fields trips for program components
• Connect the project with concepts outlined in the high school AP curriculum