{"id":228925,"date":"2025-05-01T07:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T11:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=228925"},"modified":"2025-06-18T12:02:02","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T16:02:02","slug":"polanco-22-eng-returns-to-the-college-of-engineering-as-an-impact-fellow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2025\/05\/polanco-22-eng-returns-to-the-college-of-engineering-as-an-impact-fellow\/","title":{"rendered":"Polanco \u201922 (ENG) Returns to the College of Engineering as an Impact Fellow"},"content":{"rendered":"

Although Millenia Polanco \u201922 (ENG) spent the past three years working as a successful software engineer for a large corporation, she yearned to return to an academic environment where intellectual curiosity is encouraged and innovation is nurtured.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to develop creative solutions to common learning challenges in our technology-driven society and I craved the intellectual challenge and collaborative energy only found in a classroom,\u201d Polanco says.<\/p>\n

Encouraged by a trusted UConn mentor, Polanco\u2014a computer science major\u2014explored the newly established Ph.D. program in Engineering Education within the College of Engineering.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiscovering this program felt serendipitous\u2014it was a moment of clarity in my extensive search for a graduate school. I knew this program was very special. It embodies my interests and experiences in innovation, the arts, engineering, and education,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The Graduate School met Polanco\u2019s application with enthusiasm. She was not only admitted to the Ph.D. program but also selected as a Distinguished Graduate Fellow and named an Impact Scholar\u2014UConn Graduate School\u2019s highest honor, awarded to fewer than 1% of graduate applicants.<\/p>\n

\u201cImpact Scholars are selected based on the specific ways they can make a positive impact through graduate study at UConn,\u201d says Leslie Shor, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School. \u201cThe scholarship, leadership, and engagement activities outlined in Millenia\u2019s application clearly demonstrate how she will leverage UConn\u2019s people, programs, research centers, and community partners to achieve great things. We welcome Millenia back to UConn!\u201d<\/p>\n

On a Mission<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to code.org, more than 354,000 computing jobs are available in the U.S. However, only 90,940 computer science majors graduated into the workforce in 2024. Additionally, only half of the country\u2019s public high schools offer a computer science class.<\/p>\n

Polanco wants this to change.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe need for accessible engineering education is urgent,\u201d Polanco says. \u201cAs artificial intelligence advances at an unprecedented rate, it is even more critical to ensure that students are not only consumers of technology but creators and innovators as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe need for accessible engineering education is urgent. As artificial intelligence advances at an unprecedented rate, it is even more critical to ensure that students are not only consumers of technology but creators and innovators as well.\u201d \u2014 Millenia Polanco \u201922 (ENG)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As she returns to the classroom, Polanco aims to connect with undergraduates, graduates, and faculty who are interested in developing educational software and tools that broaden access to engineering.<\/p>\n

The Engineering Education Ph.D. program, she says, is more than an academic opportunity. It is a platform \u201cto innovate creative solutions, uplift communities, and make a lasting impact,\u201d she says. \u201cWith the support of UConn’s resources, mentorship, community, and entrepreneurial ecosystem, I am excited to contribute meaningfully to the university and beyond. Ensuring that my work benefits not only UConn but also the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Knack for Mentoring<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Marsha<\/a>
Marsha Polanco \u201902 (CLAS) and Millenia Polanco \u201922, pictured here at Millenia’s UConn graduation, work as academic coaches, helping students plan their career goals. (UConn Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While pursuing her Ph.D., Polanco also wants to help fellow UConn students reach their highest academic potential and achieve personal growth. In particular, she will focus on promoting diversity, expanding opportunity, and empowering women to consider engineering as a career.<\/p>\n

\u201cEngineering and technology fields still greatly suffer from a lack of representation, particularly amongst women and marginalized groups,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

As a recent graduate of the International Coaching Federation, Polanco works as an academic coach and helps students with prioritizing, organizing, and planning their academic and career goals. In April 2024, she joined the Sparkle Wellness team with her mother and Sparkle founder and CEO Marsha Polanco \u201902 (CLAS). Millenia\u2019s father, William Polanco ’02 (BUS) also is a UConn alum.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents were my first and favorite teachers, so I sincerely enjoy working with my mom,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Mentoring students and offering advice come natural to Polanco. In most cases, she believes the person seeking advice already knows what they should do.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a coach, I find so much joy in offering tools and guidance that empower clients to discover the solutions that work best for them,\u201d she says. \u201cThere is nothing more rewarding than watching someone achieve a goal they defined entirely for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Early Inspiration<\/strong><\/p>\n

Polanco\u2019s own interest in technology, computing, and engineering began at a young age. At 4, she was asking her parents for a computer.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until she was 15 that computer programming and coding piqued her curiosity. While tutoring students in a K-8 STEM summer camp, Polanco encountered a \u201ca brilliant 7-year-old\u201d who introduced her to the programming language Python.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was persistent and so very adamant that I explore the coding language. That second grader gave me a mustard seed of knowledge that propelled my curiosity in computer science,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n

In 2018, as an incoming freshman at UConn, Polanco enrolled in the Vergnano Institute for Inclusion\u2019s Bridge program. During this five-week intensive academic enrichment program, Polanco took prep courses in STEM fields, and she was reintroduced to Python coding.<\/p>\n

A year later, she returned to the BRIDGE program as a tutor, teaching new freshman about Python and leading professional development workshops.<\/p>\n

Giving Back<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Millenia<\/a>
Polanco received the GOLD Rising Star Award in 2024. (contributed photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to serving a tutor, Polanco volunteered at the National Science Bowl competition for high school students; Caribe Youth Leaders, organizing a community event for 300 children and families; Sisters in STEM, leading empowerment workshops for underrepresented 10th grade girls; Global Brigades, helping to distribute medical supplies in a Ghanian village; and CHESS Health Solutions, conducting clinical research to advocate for healthy eating within the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut. She also served as secretary of the National Society of Black Engineering and co-event coordinator of Campus Curls National Organization.<\/p>\n

And while at UConn, she actively contributed to research efforts focused on osteoporosis, environmental injustice, COVID-19 testing compliance on campus, and advancements in ultrasound imaging. She ultimately graduated with honors as a McNair Scholar, Louis Stokes Minority Alliance Scholar, and Google CSR Researcher before taking a job as a software engineer for American Express in their Enterprise, Data Governance and Artificial Intelligence Department.<\/p>\n

In May 2024, the College of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Engineers honored Polanco with GOLD Rising Star Award<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cDenzel Washington so eloquently said, \u2018It is not about what you have or even what you\u2019ve accomplished. It\u2019s about what you\u2019ve done with those accomplishments. It\u2019s about who you\u2019ve lifted up, who you\u2019ve made better,\u2019\u201d Polanco says. \u201cMy faith, parents, Denzel\u2019s quote, and the communities I grew up in nourished my drive to create a conscious habit of helping others. Additionally, I have benefited from the generosity of others through knowledge, scholarship, and kindness. So I never hesitate to give back when I can.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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