Hispanic Heritage Month: Making Waves in Tech

As of 2020, only 12 percent of U.S. tech workers identify as Hispanic or Latino—and the tech industry must collectively chart more inclusive pathways for Hispanic students, jobseekers and professionals so they can flourish in an increasingly digital workforce. Since 1988, National Hispanic Heritage Month has recognized Hispanic Americans who have impacted and enriched our nation.

As we reflect on the month, we’re highlighting four individuals who have been recently featured in the Cognizant Foundation’s impact blog series—they are all headed toward bright futures, while also inspiring others to pursue careers in technology. These three people found careers in technology through one of the foundation’s many partners that provide students with rapid career transformation and coding skills.

Anthony Peña, CodePath Alum and Android Mobile Software Engineer at Square

In just nine months, Anthony Peña, a graduate of Florida International University in Miami, co-created a receipt management app; won first-place honors in local and national demo day competitions; mentored interns at Facebook University; and secured a software engineering internship with Amazon. This all began with one email from his university with the subject line: “CodePath.org brings free coding course to FIU.”

“I just want to make an impact. I need to leave the world a better place than how I found it, and I want to repay what CodePath has done to help me,” he said. Through CodePath’s 12-week course, Anthony gained the skills and experience necessary to pursue his passion for software engineering.

Antonella, CodePath Alum and Intern at Microsoft

A fashion designer by trade and a former nursing major, Antonella was at first hesitant to enter the world of computer science. But through CodePath, she was able to step confidently into the unknown.

CodePath’s 12-week Android training program taught her more than just how to code. It also allowed her to connect with people from other historically excluded populations in the field, which enabled her to see herself as a coder. Today, she hopes to ensure fellow women immigrants feel welcome and supported when entering the computer science field.

Carmen Salas, Senior Associate Instructor at The Marcy Lab School

Coming out of high school, Carmen was set on software engineering and decided to pursue a computer science degree. She went to college for only a month before deciding to look for alternatives since she was struggling to get into the necessary classes to pursue a computer science degree. When considering her next steps, a CodeNation alumni manager connected her to the founders of a new organization: The Marcy Lab School, a free, one-year alternative to college. Carmen was the school’s first student, and after gaining experience post-graduation, she returned as an instructor.

“Finding a workplace you love is hard, so it has been incredible to return and be a part of a place that was easy for me to love from the start. I’m also probably the first Latina software engineer in a lot of spaces, and I wanted to pass down my experience to others,” she said.

Lili Rodgriguez, Flatiron School Alum and Software Engineer at Everly Health

Years ago, Lili Rodgriguez had given up on pursuing a career in tech. As a Latina and a first-generation college student, she lacked the social capital to receive advice about aligning her education with her career aspirations. What’s more, her university didn’t offer a computer science program, and there weren’t many resources available for her to explore her interests further.

As a Cognizant NexTech Scholar at the Flatiron School, Lili no longer felt like an outsider. Her coach was Latino, and some of her instructors and mentors were women. “I really wondered if I could do this. But now I am much more confident. Attending Flatiron and having such a supportive experience—it was the best thing that could happen to me,” she says.