Students at Falcon High School learned about research opportunities at the Air Force Academy when faculty members from the Engineering Department and a cadet paid them a visit late last month.
Cadet 2nd Class Brodie Hicks and Capts. Timothy Pach and Marlyse Williams chatted with the students about the science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers available at the Academy. They also invited eligible junior and senior students at the school to attend the Society of American Military Engineer Camp, hosted by the Academy July 7-13.
Pach and Williams are engineering instructors at the Academy.
“The SAME campers will interact with college students only a few years removed from high school who can explain the rigors of preparing for STEM careers,” Williams said. “They’ll also interact with engineering professionals just getting started and those who are more experienced. This exposes them to people designing new technologies and making major decisions on the future of the career field.”
Hicks, an engineering major, is a graduate of Falcon High School. He remembers service members visiting the school and likes the idea of passing-on the Air Force torch.
“I love being able to do that same thing and maybe inspire another kid to reach a little farther and give back to the local area,” he said.
Hicks told the students about the Academy’s many engineering opportunities.
“I talked about how the future of engineering is limitless and how, if they attend the Academy, they could potentially participate in the design of new technologies,” he said.
Drew Cleveland, the assistant principle at Falcon High School, said the visit helped the students look beyond their high school years.
“It gave them a sense of what the world after high school is like and it gave them a good perspective of what the Academy could offer them,” he said. “It was a very positive experience for the students to hear from someone who went to school here.”
Cleveland remembered Hicks as a Falcon High School student.
“He was always an exceptional leader and an exceptional student,” he said.
Visit www.same.org by April 1 to sign up for the SAME Camp.