The 2nd Annual Career STEAMposium educated attendees on the importance of pursuing STEAM careers for their future economic success and for the United States to maintain its global technological edge. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math are the base of current and future innovation that impact many aspects of everyone’s life.
It was highlighted during the ‘Why STEAM’ presentation that the Arts are critical to encouraging innovation, the imagination and creativity. All of these elements are critical aspects of successfully leading in STEM fields. The attendees also learned that the Technological Revolution is driving Globalization and change that makes it imperative for them to be lifelong learners in order to keep up with the technological advancements. The attendees were told that when they go into fields that fill the professional needs of tomorrow, they will earn higher incomes as they graduate from school and improve their lifelong income opportunity. They also learned that a commitment to lifelong learning will help them to stay relevant and gainfully employed throughout their careers.
This information was disseminated through an interactive day of workshops and panels where professionals from each concentration of STEAM shared their backgrounds, their professional experiences and answered many questions that the students asked. Through these workshops, the students learned that no matter their current circumstances, they can commit themselves and achieve their objectives. One of the guest speakers, Dr. Charles Sistrunk with City of Hope, shared that when he was in school, a teacher tried to guide him into the Trades while telling him that he didn’t have the acumen to go to college. Dr. Sistrunk went on to prove that person wrong as he acquired four degrees, and his work in developing the biomarkers that helped to identify Triple Negative Breast cancer in African American women is used to help identify and treat this disease throughout the health industry.
The feedback from the students that attended the Career STEAMposium was positive and some let us know that their exposure to these STEAM professionals has encouraged them to pursue careers in STEAM fields. They appreciated and recognized that this must be important for these professionals to take time out of their busy Saturday to spend time with them. If the United States is going to compete in the Global Economy and keeps its technological edge, it is imperative that more of our students pursue careers in these fields where the need is great, the opportunities are there and the income is high.
This event was sponsored by Southern California Edison, The Boeing Company, Pasadena City College, the Gamma Zeta Boule Foundation, the Pasadena/Altadena Ivy Foundation and the Pasadena Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
