Photo By Marie Pihulic | Cynthia Holland (far right) shows a group of Lawton Academy of Arts and Sciences...... read more read more
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As many are pausing to say “thank you” on Veterans Day, Cynthia Holland is a veteran who is taking time to give back.
She spent part of her career in the Navy teaching nuclear physics, metallurgy, radiation fundamentals and more. This Nov. 11, she is using her passion for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to spark that same interest in children.
She is teaching a virtual STEM class and demonstration for the Dahlgren Heritage Museum and Lawton Academy of Arts and Sciences. Both organizations reside in military communities, which is fitting for the date and topics she is covering.
She is paying tribute to all of the military branches by teaching children the fundamentals of buoyancy — used by the Navy and Coast Guard; Bernoulli's Principle on lift, used by the Air Force; and land navigation for the Marines and Army in which Holland will demonstrate how to make a compass using only items readily available in a house.
For the Space Force Holland is covering different questions about space.
“Everything from 'Do explosions make noise in space?' to 'Does the sun burn?'” said Holland.
In the Navy, she taught others how to safely work on nuclear reactors.
“There’s never been a reactor accident in the United States Navy,” Holland said.
She was passionate about the mission she was helping with in the Navy and that drove her to stay in the service for more than 20 years. She said what also kept her in was the military mindset.
“Integrity and honesty, those were not just words, they were a way of doing everything. Doing the right thing even when there’s not a soul to see you doing the wrong thing. That and the military family. The military family is second to none.”
Holland is currently a science and technology advisor for Sensor to Shooter at the Long Range Precision Fires Cross Functional Team. She believes teaching STEM to children is a critical mission, and one she is happy to help with. Her belief was inspired by the former Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Dr. Mike Griffin. He explained the freedoms the people of the United States enjoy “are privileges to be purchased by every generation, at a high price in blood and treasure.”
Holland said the military’s part in that is by having technological overmatch which needs to be cultivated.
“That technological superiority comes about by having a smart, capable, innovative workforce. We can’t have a smart, capable, innovative workforce without science, technology, engineering and math education."
Holland has been helping children with STEM events for 25 years. She is continuing that service today.
"I want to give back. I want the nation to be the best it can possibly be and I’m doing small things in my community to help with that education.”
| Date Taken: | 11.11.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.11.2020 10:16 |
| Story ID: | 382808 |
| Location: | FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 156 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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