Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States from September 15th through October 15th to recognize a diverse range of people with Spanish-speaking backgrounds and honor their heritage, culture, spirit and extraordinary contributions as Hispanic Americans.
At SEI we want to celebrate all of our Spanish-speaking students who inspire us daily with their initiative, commitment and dedication to pursuing the energy transition in their communities, reducing carbon emissions and ensuring a cleaner future for all. Commemorating this significant date for the entire SEI Hispanic community, we spoke with Balmore Baires, a recipient of the SolarReviews scholarship fund for Spanish Speakers, about his experience with the program and the beginning of his career in the solar industry.
Balmore is from El Salvador, but has lived in California for more than 3 years. His interest in renewable energy began at a young age when he saw streams of water falling over mills, generating energy for crop production in his hometown.
“I have always been interested in learning how to produce energy in non-polluting ways, using natural resources that do not harm the environment, where the expense of energy production is compensated with the usage. But in El Salvador, there was no place or means to do it, so I studied electricity instead”, Balmore told us.
After having worked in avionics, Balmore relocated to the United States and set off again towards his dream. But it wasn’t long until he encountered the language barrier and the impossibility of taking courses in English – until an internet search brought him to SEI’s homepage.
“I remember grabbing my phone and asking Siri, “Siri, recommend a place for me to study renewable energy in Spanish”, and the first result that came up was SEI. I started browsing through the webpages and found the SolarReviews scholarship. There were many things that convinced me SEI was who I wanted to train with: first, solar was what I always wanted to study, second, it was being taught in my language, third, it was online, fourth, the possibility of receiving a scholarship and, fifth, the teaching order and methodology that I found at SEI. I had found the way. I have already taken the three online courses in Spanish and I am very satisfied.”
Balmore told SEI how the possibility of studying in his native language in the United States was the bridge that allowed him to continue with his dream that started when he was little. “The opportunity I have to learn this science and technology in my language while in the United States has helped lower the degree of difficulty to obtain the same body of knowledge, the same quality of knowledge, and above all, the same valid and certified content that English speakers would receive. If I had started studying in English, I would have almost certainly fallen by the wayside, and my dream would have been frustrated by not having access to content in my language.”
We asked Balmore to share some advice for students who are thinking of starting their career in solar energy but have yet to take the next step: “It has to be something that you are really passionate about and have the desire to study, even if you don’t know anything about it, even if you still have no idea what it is. It is very exciting to be part of this rapidly evolving technology. Those of us who are part of it now, we are the ground floor for everything to come. Every time a new student starts in this industry, it is a seed that will bear fruit for our planet – and if the planet wins, we win too.”
We thank Balmore and all of our students for their dedication to put us one step closer to reaching a world powered by 100% renewable energy, reducing the global temperature. As we seek to make solar energy education accessible to the greatest number of people through our scholarship programs, we are commemorating this month to the SEI Hispanic community by inviting any US Spanish-speaking residents to apply for the SolarReviews scholarship fund. Through this scholarship, Spanish speakers will have access to qualified online solar energy training provided in their native language, providing them the ability to excel as solar industry professionals. We need a diverse solar industry for it to continue to grow, and those of us who are already a part of the industry are responsible for ensuring that it is inclusive, with opportunities for all. We want to invite all Spanish-speaking US residents with any need interested in joining the solar industry to apply for the Solar Reviews scholarship fund.
