Wijnaldum, a graduate of america Naval Academy and a professional nuclear-trained floor warfare officer, spoke to the scholars attending the academy about her early publicity to STEM in center and highschool, her perseverance via the Naval Academy, and her present STEM job within the Navy.
“Being in a STEM career, I’ve discovered that I can resolve issues on a distinct degree,” stated Wijnaldum. “Within the Navy, I’ve the privilege to function, and supervise the operation of, a nuclear powered plane provider. Each side of our day-to-day actions [in the Navy] could be traced again to a basis of math and science.”
Whereas Wijnaldum works in a single space of STEM, she inspired the scholars attending, a mixture of girls and boys in grades 6 via 10, to discover the entire alternatives a STEM profession can supply.
“The STEM area is huge,” stated Wijnaldum. “There are such a lot of branches and there are not any limits. You could be as inventive as you need. It’s like a spider internet, and if you happen to’re inventive sufficient, perhaps you’ll be able to invent a brand new realm.”
Wijnaldum additionally acknowledged the problem surrounding the STEM area, and provided recommendation to the scholars that wished to finally pursue a STEM profession.
“STEM was not simple for me,” stated Wijnaldum. “There have been occasions in junior highschool or highschool, after I went to the Naval Academy, or after I went via the nuclear energy coaching pipeline within the Navy, and it was onerous. I needed to dig my heels in, keep targeted, put in slightly further time at work, or ask a instructor or a classmate for assist. Then I simply saved urgent. Don’t stop when it’s difficult, buckle down, press via, and also you’ll shock your self.”
NIWC Atlantic has been internet hosting a summer time STEM academy for over 10 years.
“We have now a really sturdy STEM outreach program, and that is simply a part of it,” stated Jerry Sekerak, a public affairs specialist for NIWC Atlantic and one of many volunteers for the STEM camp. “We have now two STEM camps that run each summer time. This one is 4 days and is for girls and boys in grades six via ten. Tomorrow, now we have a someday, ladies solely day, for a similar grade vary.”
The camps consist of various audio system and hands-on actions that introduce college students to as many areas of STEM as attainable together with designing and constructing miniature bridges with dry noodles, constructing and launching water bottle rockets, constructing slightly laptop, coding a primary robotic, and studying natural science rules with substances like oobleck.
“Introducing these youngsters to the STEM area opens up a realm of potentialities they could not have been launched to earlier than, and reveals them the various totally different instructions they will go and issues they will do with STEM,” stated Sekerak. “If we will plant that seed now, hopefully they’ll develop an curiosity in these fields now or in a while, and it’ll open alternatives for them sooner or later.”
Whereas each scholar is probably not curious about pursuing a profession within the STEM area, Sekerak believes this camp can nonetheless be helpful to them.
“STEM is in every single place, even in non-STEM profession fields,” stated Sekerak. “So even when they go on to pursue different profession fields, they’ll at the least have a background to attract from and perceive once they encounter it.”
Based on NIWC Atlantic’s web site, the aim of the STEM outreach program is to collaborate with academia, authorities organizations, native companies, {and professional} organizations to extend STEM curiosity and literacy of their communities, and to supply a pipeline for future STEM expertise.
“That is close to and expensive to my coronary heart as a result of after I was a rising eighth grader, I attended a Navy-sponsored STEM camp,” stated Wijnaldum. “Earlier than that, I used to be very academically inclined, however I used to be secluded. I didn’t work together effectively with different individuals, however the camp uncovered me to hands-on labs that confirmed me there was extra to math and science than class, and I noticed younger those that made being good appear cool. It was essential for me as a result of that have of collaborating in that camp helped me keep my focus after I went to highschool.”
Naval Air Power Atlantic is answerable for seven nuclear-powered plane carriers, 54 plane squadrons, 1,200 plane and 52,000 officers, enlisted and civilian personnel with priorities targeted on warfighting, individuals, and readiness by offering fight prepared, sustainable naval air forces with the proper personnel, correctly educated and outfitted, with a give attention to readiness, operational excellence, interoperability, security, and environment friendly resourcing.
