The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
JVS Female Engineering Students Participate in STEM event
In celebration of National Manufacturing Month, three Lorain County JVS Project Lead the Way Engineering students, participated in the Society of Women Engineers “STEM Showcase and Discover Your Super Hero” event, held on the campus of Lorain County Community College on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
Project Lead the Way National Master Teacher and JVS PLTW Instructor Brian Iselin, spoke to the audience about the JVS engineering program, and shared some highlights. “This program is offered as a partnership between Lorain County JVS and Lorain County Community College,” Iselin said. “Eligible students can earn up to 18 college credits in engineering, if they complete the entire program.”
Three JVS Project Lead the Way Engineering female students, who have been working with the local Society of Women Engineers on a robotic project, took part in a panel discussion to talk about what they have learned from this project and how the engineering program is preparing them for their futures.
Soleil Piros from Clearview said the project took a few difficult turns, but the team was able to troubleshoot their way through it. “The robot was delivered with all the wrong screws, so we had to order new parts, take the robot apart and put it back together, about five different times, before it was correct. This made the project take more time to complete, but we couldn’t finish the robot any other way.”
The robot will become a mascot of sorts for the Society of Women Engineers and will travel to different speaking engagements to help promote engineering careers for women.
Megan Gregg, also from Clearview, stated how exciting it was for her to speak to the large group of young ladies in the audience about this project and about women being a part of the engineering future.
“Maybe something one of us said today will make some girls think, oh that is cool. I could do that too.”
Iselin also shared some successes of the PLTW program by stating that in the past five years, 99 percent of his graduating seniors have started college in an engineering field. Of that 99 percent, approximately 40 percent attended LCCC and the remaining students attended other fouryear schools all over the country.
Piros is looking towards the future and because of this engineering program, has a clear path in place. “Before I started this program, I was curious how things worked, but I wasn’t sure if I would go into an engineering field. This class showed me that if I want to, I can be a prosthetics designer.”
Lindsey Wood from Amherst knows that this JVS program is preparing her for college. “This engineering class is pretty challenging, but when I continue my education next year in college, I will be ready because I will have this experience and knowledge to take with me.”
This interactive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) event, highlighted careers in these areas and provided a hands-on engineering experience for its participants. Female engineering students, as well as engineers from the industry, shared their real-life experiences to give further insight to those in attendance.
Lorain County JVS High School provides manufacturing programs that include Computerized Design and Drafting, Precision Machine Technology, Welding and Fabrication and Project Lead the Way-Engineering. Fall courses at the JVS Adult Career Center include AutoCAD Basic, CNC, Precision Machine Technology, Power Lift Truck Safety Training, and Welding and Fabrication.
Lorain County JVS High School and the Adult Career Center are preparing students for a demanding workforce that is in need of skilled career-minded professionals. To find out more, visit www.lcjvs.com.
Society of Women Engineers is an inclusive organization focused on issues of interest to women specializing in engineering and technical careers.