Students interested in any of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are encouraged to attend the second annual STEM conference Friday, November 19, Idania Reyes, STEM Grant Program director said.

“The goal of this conference is to share with students the different types of careers and to encourage them to seek those careers so hopefully one day they will be able to be a scientist, biologist, zoologist or engineer,” Reyes said.

The conference is open to all students, regardless of major. Taking place in the Student Activities Center East Lounge, it begins at 9 a.m. and will end at approximately 2 p.m. with breakfast and lunch provided.

“Anyone can come. We want to reach out to those people who are undecided and show them that they can visualize themselves in that (STEM) career,” Reyes said.

There will be eight different workshops and about five university representatives, including the University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, California State University Fullerton and Cal Poly Pomona.

Guest speakers who are working professionals in the STEM industries will be leading workshops and sharing their college and professional experiences.

One of the workshops will be a panel of former EC students who have transferred to four-year universities and are now working professionals as well.

“It should be really empowering for students to come listen to that and see that people have done it and they can do it too,” Reyes said.

Students who attend the conference will also have the opportunity to network with professionals and university representatives, as they will be given a short networking seminar at the beginning of the conference that will emphasize networking methods and tools.

“Students will be provided with business cards that they can fill out with their own information so that they may give them out at the event to university reps and professionals,” Reyes said.

Last year, there was a turnout of 150 students. This year the STEM Grant Program is expecting 200 students but is preparing for 400 students.

“I attended last year and it was really interesting because there was a big presentation by a NASA rocket scientist on the discovery of water on the moon,” Elias Macias, 19, aerospace engineering major, said. “I’m going this year again because I want to know if there are any updates on that case.”

Students may register for the conference by submitting a paper application to the Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) Center or to Room 126 in the Chemistry Building. Students may register online at www.elcamino.edu/academics/stem.

“This conference gives the students the opportunity to make important life decisions,” Reyes said.