STEM Outreach Events Makes Impact in Local Communities

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 much weight they can hold. Cifuentes talks about some of the work she has done within those classrooms.

“We did three projects with them,” Cifuentes said. “We did a DNA strawberry extraction to kind of replicate like what you could be doing in the chemical engineering field. And then lastly, we taught them how to build Rock, Paper, Scissors using Python coding. So really basic stuff, but they were able to just type the code themselves, test it out, see how it would have come up.”

Having this event for local schools is one way to immerse students into the engineering field early in their education experience.

Another engineering stu- dent, JJ Lotardo, remarked on the importance of familiarizing kids with engineering topics early, especially with the current shortage of engineers.

“I think the STEM program at MC is great,” Lotardo said.

“You know, there’s a shortage of engineers nowadays. So the more the merrier with students or people that become engineers and when you start younger you get more experience. So that means it is just easier for you to find a job or for you to work in the field. I think it’s a great impact and a great program all around.”

The event is looking to expand into a full program in the future with more opportunities to help local communities. For the time being, they plan to continue the great work that they are doing within the communities they positively impact.