Photo By Quentin Johnson | Col. Claudia Henemyre, the deputy commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research...... read more read more
FORT DETRICK, Md. – Over 30 Frederick County middle school students interested in careers in STEM recently attended a talk by Col. Claudia Henemyre, the deputy commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, part of a speaker series aimed at introducing students to career opportunities in the sciences.
“The students were very polite, attentive, and genuinely interested in a STEM career and the military,” said Henemyre. “I look forward to participating in the speaker series at Urbana Middle School again.”
Megan Adkins, a career coach with Frederick County Public Schools, said the series aims to inspire students to explore diverse career paths and understand the importance of education, hard work, and perseverance. She emphasized the importance of exposing students to different careers through the speaker series, noting it often sparks students’ interests they didn’t know they had.
“I have several students who sign up for every speaker series, even if they’re not particularly interested in that career. They just want to hear about it because it might spark something,” said Adkins.
Reaching out to the USAMRIID for a speaker was a great choice as the individual would bring both a STEM and military background, she added.
Henemyre began her session by sharing her education, college life, career progression, and details surrounding the rigorous Army officer courses she completed.
These details included her active-duty positions and two-year tenure at Johns Hopkins University through the Army’s Long-Term Health Education and Training program, which Henemyre said resonated deeply with the students.
Adkins said that the students showed interest in both the scientific and military aspects of Henemyre’s career as well as her successes.
“It’s inspiring for the students to see someone who has interwoven their interests into a successful career,” said Adkins.
After the presentation, students asked Henemyre thoughtful questions about the successes and challenges of her career and any tips she has to offer.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself and take breaks from homework,” said Henemyre. “Taking breaks helps you do better in your studies in the long run.”
Henemyre also spoke about how the military can provide many opportunities to succeed, especially in furthering an education.
“I explained to the students what the military offers and how the Army ROTC scholarship allowed me to attend college,” she said.
Adkins expressed her enthusiasm for having Henemyre return next year.
“It’s valuable for students to hear Col. Henemyre’s story again and see how their interests can interweave into different career paths,” she said.
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2025 15:40 |
| Story ID: | 548025 |
| Location: | FORT DETRICK, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Army biochemist inspires students, promotes military opportunities, by Quentin Johnson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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