Photo By Samantha Boyle | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District project engineer Lt. Matthew Sauter...... read more read more
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Future leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields gathered March 26 at the Citrus Heights Community Center to learn about the various opportunities available to them in STEM career fields, including those at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District.
These future leaders were comprised of dozens of local middle and high school students participating in the Leadership, Ethics, and Development in STEM (LEADS) conference, hosted by the West Point Society of Northern California and supported by USACE Sacramento District. This event empowered students to learn all about their future careers from the people who work in them today.
USACE Sacramento District Commander and West Point graduate Col. Chad Caldwell opened the event with inspiring words to the students in attendance.
“Today is about helping you understand the lineage between leadership, ethics, and STEM,” he said. “And maybe open your eyes to the possibilities that are out there for you in the future.”
Most importantly, he encouraged the students to continuously do three things to be successful today and in their futures: be curious, ask questions, and think critically.
“That’s how I ended up being an engineer,” he said. “Because I was curious, I asked a lot of questions, and I decided to think critically for my entire career. I encourage you all to do the same.”
Col. Caldwell and other Sacramento District staff interacted with students and their teachers during hands-on activities and informational presentations.
The high school students were inspired to consider a variety of careers in STEM fields such as an architect, geologist, or even a park ranger; while their teachers learned about opportunities students have access to even before they graduate college, such as the Pathways Program, a developmental program for students and recent graduates to gain experience in their respective fields.
Though a little way away from applying to colleges, the middle schoolers were encouraged to begin thinking about STEM in their daily lives. They participated in four interactive activities alongside USACE Sacramento District staff to learn about the USACE mission.
They delivered vital engineering solutions building structures with building block sets and following blueprints to build towers using spaghetti and marshmallows. They reduced disaster risk by seeing how water flows during different rain and flood events using a flood model and protected an endangered species by re-creating an annual salmon run and swimming upstream through various obstacles. After each activity, the students learned how each of these activities translate into a future career.
Senior district ranger Alicia Unsinn facilitated the salmon run game for the students.
“My favorite part of this event was interacting with the students and discussing how engineering and science can play a role in preserving natural resources,” she said.
Each activity served to show students that an education and career in STEM can lead them toward a fulfilling career.
“Bottomline is if you set a foundation in sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics, you can go do anything,” Col. Caldwell said. “STEM is so important; it’s such a great foundation for everything else that you can do in life. It's why people like me who've done it are so passionate and want to tell you all about it.”
To discover more about USACE opportunities, visit: https://www.spk.usace.army.mil/Careers/
| Date Taken: | 03.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.28.2025 17:26 |
| Story ID: | 494061 |
| Location: | CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 113 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USACE Sacramento District LEADS the way for future engineers, by Samantha Boyle, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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