Although traditionally, women and other minorities have shied away from careers in engineering and technology-based fields, Veronica Caballero from Union City recently won a full scholarship to a technical school where she will pursue her dream of becoming an architect.
"Everything around us is architecture," said Caballaro, who was recently accepted to the Albert Dorman Honors College at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark. "Everything has some sort of design to be built."
To help her reach her goal, Caballaro was awarded the Renard Communication Scholarship offered to a student at NJIT. The $65,000 scholarship will cover Caballaro’s tuition, room and board and other expenses.
"It kind of came as a surprise to me," said Caballaro, who graduated from High Tech High School in North Bergen. "I knew I was getting some kind of scholarship, but didn’t know which scholarship or that it would be so much."
The Renard scholarship is not given by NJIT, but rather, a private company, Renard Communications, in Springfield. Caballaro is the first student from any local college to receive a Renard Communications Scholarship.
"We wanted the scholarship to go to a female or a minority majoring in a technological field, and NJIT is an inner-city school with diverse students," said Roberta Renard, the president and CFO of Renard Communications. "It’s important for minorities and women to have rich and rewarding technology careers that will also give them financial independence." Renard, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Albert Dorman Honors College, said that the student population of NJIT matches the type of student her company helps.
"The mission of my magazine fits into the student body at NJIT," said Renard.
Since 1993, Renard Communications, based in Springfield, has been publishing Diversity/Careers in Engineering and Information Technology, a magazine and website that covers career issues for engineers and information technology professionals who are women, minorities or people with disabilities.
"I saw that there was a need for a publication focused on technical careers for these under-represented groups," said Renard.
Although Caballero has always been interested in architecture, she never experienced it hands-on until she enrolled in a computer-assisted draft and design class during her junior year of high school.
Caballero said that she would like concentrate on commercial architecture, designing hotels and restaurants, but hasn’t fully committed to this specialization yet.
"Since Sept. 11, 2001, no one really wants to be traveling that much anymore," said Caballaro. "Architecture is really broad. Who knows what can happen."
Renard Communications publishes two additions to their magazine. The Professional Issue, focusing on women and minorities who have already begun their careers, is published six times a year, and the Minority College Issue, focusing on juniors and seniors majoring in engineering and information technology fields, is published twice a year.
"Many women feel that the technical fields aren’t for them, which isn’t true anymore," said Renard. "Things have changed. There are more women in these fields."
Renard Communications also awards three scholarships each year to a minority student attending the University of Denver, Colorado, where Renard received her BA in Education.
Renard Communication’s magazine can be found online at www.diversitycareers.com.