Photo By Gregory Mitchell | Cmdr. Laura Wegemann, department head, physical therapy, U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka,...... read more read more
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YOKOSUKA, Japan - Female students from Yokosuka Middle School participated in the 2013 Girls Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Conference held at Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, April 17.
STEM focuses on girls pursuing career fields that usually go to males. Members of the STEM coalition believe that students should improve the way they learn science, mathematics, technology and engineering and that business, education, and STEM communities must work together to achieve this goal.
The event began with a motivational speech by Lt. Corinne Devin, department head, dental clinic, U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka. She shared her experience of growing up in a military family, and explained how she traveled a challenging path to eventually receiving her master’s in science and orthodontics from the Tri-Service Orthodontics Residency Program at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. She became a naval officer, an orthodontist and the 2012 Miss United States.
“Today I want to tell you, all of you can have anything and everything,” said Devin. “You have the control to determine what you want in life and pursue the goals that make you happy. Pave your own path; this is your time to make yourself something great-be a champion!”
Students spent the entire school day touring various work centers throughout FLEACT, Yokosuka. Along with Devin’s dental clinic, these centers were comprised of the USS George Washington (CV 73) and USS Asheville (SSN 758), to the Ship Repair Facility dive team and the heliport at Commander Naval Region Japan Fire Department, to name a few.
Presenters felt that it was worth their while to spend time with the girls to explain their professions.
“This program gives these girls the chance to see all the work required behind each field,” said Lt. jg. Matthew Harmon, training officer aboard USS McCampbell (DDG 85). Harmon conducted a seminar at Afloat Training Group Yokosuka to provide an explanation of virtual training ship simulation equipment, which simulates areas of work such as ships movement and underway replenishment.
“It’s great that they get to come to see the technology that we use in the Navy and how it is improving daily, but they also get to see what their parents do on a day-to-day basis, just to get home to them.”
Members of educational leadership aboard FLEACT, Yokosuka expressed the importance of the conference, and what they hoped that the students would gain from the experience.
“Obviously the girls will be excited about STEM-related fields, but they will also be prepared and what they will see is that if they want to get into these fields, there are certain criteria’s they will need to fulfill in order to get there,” said FLEACT, Yokosuka Installation School liaison officer Ruth Russell. “High school graduation requirements don’t necessarily translate to college acceptance requirements.
For example, if you want to go to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, you had better have had a more meaty science background than is required for a basic high school diploma. Usually they find that when they go to college that they haven’t had the proper course selection that they need in order to get into the colleges that can put them in those positions. It is here where the STEM program becomes most influential.”
Students felt the program was very encouraging, motivational and also fun.
“I like this program because it gives us all a chance to feel what it is like to work,” said Mikayla Edge, an eighth grade student who dreams of becoming a physical therapist one day. “I like the fact that you get to see a person’s working environment, and it kind of gives us the chance to figure out what things we may want to do or may not want to do in the future. Who knows? One of us here may change our life goals because of something we see today.”
| Date Taken: | 05.07.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 05.07.2013 01:44 |
| Story ID: | 106464 |
| Location: | YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 195 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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