On Thursday, students from Wake STEM Early College High School shadowed staff at WithersRavenel for a first-hand look at the varied skills needed to be successful in a STEM-based career. While on the WithersRavenel Cary campus, students watched a drone demonstration by Certified Remote Pilot Travis Howell and interacted with members of the Land Planning and Development department. They had opportunities to observe engineers solving problems, ask questions, and make connections between classroom learning and real-world applications.
Linda Brannan, Career Development Coordinator and STEM Coordinator at Wake STEM Early College, values the seeds that have been planted in the minds of students that are under-served in traditional high schools and under-represented in STEM programs. “All of these students returned to school describing how fortunate they feel to have had such a close look at your company. Many expressed that they may consider pursuing a career in the various STEM fields that make your business successful,” she said. “Also, the students saw first hand the importance of teamwork, communication skills, and strong ethics as pillars for successful college and career pursuits.”
Teachers at the school also praised WithersRavenel’s efforts. They were “particularly enthusiastic that [WithersRavenel] offered personal stories of various career paths, which helps the students see there are many ways to reach a career goal,” reported Ms. Brannan.
Wake STEM Early College is a joint project between the Wake County Public School System, NC State University, and NC New Schools that allows students to take college courses at NCSU while also completing the courses required to earn a high school diploma over a five-year period.