Melanie Arias

As early as middle school, Melanie knew she wanted to pursue a career in engineering. Her seventh-grade science and engineering teacher encouraged her to work toward this goal, and Melanie says, “To this day, she is still one of my biggest supporters, along with my friends and family.” Melanie and her mentor knew she would encounter a number of obstacles, particularly as a first-generation student and female in STEM, but she has persevered with the encouragement of those in her support system.

Her fortitude was tested early on, in her first year at college, when the transition from high school turned out to be “one of the greatest challenges” she had faced to that point. Undeterred, she pushed ahead, leaning on the unconditional love and support from her parents, family, and friends.

She is now a sophomore at the University of Southern California (USC), majoring in Engineering, and says she is using the lessons she learned from her first year to “grow as a student.” After graduation, she aspires to work in the aerospace industry, where she is in interested in the areas of design, manufacturing, and research.

On campus, she is the Director of Membership for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and is currently exploring a variety of engineering design teams. She also participates in the USC Central American Network.

In August, Melanie was one of the top 118 Scholars invited to attend HSF’s annual, National Leadership Conference (NLC). NLC provides an inside track to academic and professional excellence to top HSF Scholars, through a combination of mentoring, leadership development, professional insights, career guidance, and internship and job opportunities. She also attended HSF’s Youth Leadership Institute as a high school student, and points to the conference as a source of inspiration and support from peers and mentors. She says she started out doubtful of her ability to secure admission to USC, but the conference reinforced her “courage and determination,” prompting her to move forward, and ultimately, land a spot at the university.

An HSF Scholarship recipient, she says the award not only lessens the financial burden on her parents, it also reaffirms that she is not alone in her journey. “HSF has had a huge impact on my life since I first became a Scholar. This just reminds me that I have support from so many people to follow my dreams,” she says.

She encourages students who are considering college to search for, and take advantage of, the available college preparation resources. “Whether that be scholarships, summer programs, or simply finding a mentor, these resources will change your life,” she says, adding, “Especially for first-generation students, the journey will not be easy, but all of your hard work will pay off in the end.”