Student Feature Friday: Nipmuc's STEM Scholars & the STEM Career and College Fair

Nipmuc's STEM Scholars

It was an exciting day at Nipmuc as we welcomed approximately 40 professionals and university representatives to Nipmuc for the STEM Career and College Fair. The fair gave our students in the STEM Scholars Program - as well as all students in grades 8 - 12 - the chance to meet with professionals and educators in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The day was filled with a variety of ways for students to connect their experiences in our school district with real-world application of learning. From demonstrations of acoustics by Bose to seeing iRobots products in action to meeting with a cardiac nurse from Massachusetts General Hospital (and much more!), our students had the chance to get excited about how they could use their learning in the ever-growing STEM fields of study.

Students in the STEM Scholars Program entered the day following a two-hour interview workshop held yesterday with a professional recruiter from EMC. In addition to putting their skills to use in the fair, they participated in mock interviews hosted by our professional partners, talked about their STEM experiences with eighth graders, and learned about the new field of bioinformatics in working with Professor Liz Ryder from WPI and one of her students.  

In this week's feature, I'm highlighting some of our STEM Scholars as they talk about their experiences from the day and what they gained from these experiences.

Senior Nicole Murphy
Q: What was the most interesting part of the career fair?
A: I absolutely loved the career fair. It was so amazing to talk to people who are what I want to be…The most inspiring part was hearing from people who love what they do. It is liberating and exciting that I have these opportunities to make connections and learn about my future. It helps me solidify my dreams, and make me realize they are very realistic.”

Senior Madison Neri
Q: What was the most interesting part of the career fair?
A: The most interesting part of the career fair was seeing the variety of STEM jobs in one small space. Everywhere you looked there was a different career that was STEM centered that targeted a different purpose. For me, the Eco-friendly stations and then civil engineering tables were most interesting to me, however I still learned something new and interesting at every table I visited even if I was not interested in that career path. The variety of STEM jobs is crazy and we got to experience a piece of that.

(l-r) STEM Scholars Madison Neri, Jeremy Hall, Nicole Murphy and Matt DeVane

Senior Matt Devane
Q: What did you find most valuable about mock interviews?
A: By actually going through an interview, I realized the skills I need to improve on. Most importantly, I need to prepare specific anecdotes from my life that demonstrate the qualities I am trying to show the interviewer. That way, I will be more prepared to adequately answer their questions.

Junior Jillian Penfield

Q: What was your biggest takeaway from the presentation with Dr. Liz Ryder from WPI? 

A: My biggest takeaway from Dr. Ryder was that there is actually a way to combine computer science and biology. I have always loved biology, but I knew I didn't want to be a doctor or nurse, so why would I look into biology? She taught me that I could combine my passion of computer science with biology if I wanted to.

Senior Jeremy Hall
Q: What did you find most valuable about mock interviews?

A: The pressure. That nervous feeling in the stomach. I learned to control it, and executed the interview well. Being in the moment, thinking quickly, and receiving feedback were significant outputs. Being able to control myself when adrenaline is pumping and my heart is beating out of my chest is a valuable skill. Getting this experience well prepared me for a real interview.

(l-r) STEM Scholars Joria Todd, Catherine Hill, Kurt Robakiewicz, and Jillian Penfield

Senior Catherine Hill

Q: What were you biggest takeaways from the interview training with EMC trainer Linda Grecco? 

A: One of the biggest takeaways from the training with Linda Greco was learning how to present myself in front of professionals. She taught me how to look and act presentable in professional situations. The practice interview we did allowed me to see my flaws when talking and let me feel more comfortable in the situation. Her presentation also showed us how to create a good resume, including what to have and what to not have in the resume. She made a positive influence on my abilities of presenting myself. I have never been taught how to present myself in an interview and her presentation showed me exactly how to present myself in the best way possible. It is a hard task at first but she comforted everyone in the room by saying that practice makes perfect.

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I hope you have the chance to ask our students about today's STEM experiences. Thank you to all of our professional partners who helped to make the day a success. 

You can review the program for the day below: