Sonia Camacho started posting her life on social media as a college undergrad. She’d capture her busy life as a student at Oregon State University, majoring in Computer Science Systems and interning at Nike Headquarters. She’d also open up about some of her struggles she’d encounter as a Latina woman in STEM.
“One, I’m the only girl, but on top of that, I think I’m one of the only Latinas in the class,” she explained. “I think that was my motivation.”
Quickly, she started gaining followers by the thousands. Soon, major brands like Amazon and Microsoft reached to partner with her.
“What started off as me sharing fun tips and tricks ultimately turned into my full-time job at school,” she said.
Camacho’s fascination with engineering stemmed from her older sister, who studied mechanical engineering at OSU. As a doting younger sister does, Camacho followed in her big sister’s footsteps.
“I grew up with this built-in best friend and I could go to her and ask her any questions,” she said. “That’s kind of what pushed me to start social media as well because there’s people that look like me [and] talk like me, who don’t have that built-in best friend.”
Seeking to be a big sister figure other students could turn to, Camacho began virtually mentoring Latino students and students of all backgrounds, giving them advice on interviews and their resumes, as well as using her network to connect them with career opportunities. That led to sharing her story at schools and conferences, like the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).
“Once you see that you can actually start making a difference, even if it’s just one person’s life, I feel like it’s so rewarding, and it keeps you going,” she said. “There’s so many people out there that can benefit just from you sharing your life.”
After getting her Masters in Computer Science in 2022, Camacho accepted a job offer from Nike as an engineer working in digital accessibility. She makes platforms easier to use for people with virtual or hearing impairments.
“I really feel like I found my niche,” she said. “I love helping people, so it’s that perfect way to be technical, but to still do my passion.”
As her life changes, so does the posts she makes.
“My content has really evolved, like, it used to be about my student life, but now it’s just about myself and my lifestyle, working out and working at Nike and everything in between,” she said.
Her following has continued to grow steadily. She’s at 19,000 on Instagram and over 13,000 on TikTok.
The more her social media grows, so does her desire to get more Latino youth interested and involved in STEM. “Seeing other people succeed is the most impactful for me because I know that I’m helping change their life and helping them make a difference in their life.”
