“We want students to see how their education can lend itself to their future career,” says Jacqueline Mullen, a math teacher at Whitewater High, which is why 12 STEM students at Whitewater High came together to create a career symposium for their peers.
This is Whitewater’s first year offering the STEM program and what better way to celebrate than by inviting several science, technology, engineering, and math professionals to speak with students and offer them an in depth look into specific career fields.
Mullen says, “We wanted speakers in the workforce to come out and speak to the students about the necessary skills needed to be successful, not just in the classroom, but in a professional setting.”
This event was entirely student led by a group of freshmen who took it upon themselves to not only find different professionals in the community, but invite them to the event and create a list of questions to present to the panel. Mullen says, “It has been a team effort. The STEM sponsors mainly assisted, but we really tried to let the students take the reins.”
The symposium included five one-hour sessions representing different professions including business, medical, law, engineering, and information technology (IT). Former Whitewater High graduates were also included on the panel. Each session was led by a freshman from the STEM program who acted as a moderator asking a panel of professionals about their career experiences, challenges, and triumphs. The moderators were Jacob Raville, Ella Blanchette, Josh Johnston, Taylor Thompson, and Morgan Pettis.
Professionals also discussed the importance of networking, building positive partnerships, advanced technology, and the importance of education. The STEM sponsors used this as an opportunity for professionals to explain the importance of soft skills such as communication, professionalism, and teamwork.
During the business session, Raville asked Adam She, a former CEO, about how he deals with different obstacles in business and She responded, “You have to have the mindset and the faith to face challenges from day to day.”
There was also a special question and answer session where students in the audience had the opportunity to ask the professionals specific questions about their career fields.
Mullen, Julie Wolf, and Susanne Routh are a part of the Whitewater High STEM sponsor team and also helped to make this event a success.
“We hope this event will allow all the students at Whitewater, not just those in the STEM program, to connect with local professionals. We want to promote further interest in careers that emphasize science, technology, and mathematics,” says Mullen.
With a smile on her face, Whitewater’s assistant principal and STEM coordinator, Yolanda Briggs-Johnson, says she is very proud of what these students have accomplished and hopes to continue to build the STEM program at Whitewater High.
