Curiosity to Career: Encouraging Students to Pursue STEM Education

When you ask a child what career they want to pursue, they’ll probably tell you about a job they’ve seen, such as doctor, firefighter, musician, actor or teacher.  

While these are excellent options, scientist or engineer may not be included on that list because kids don’t always know about these jobs or have an accurate visual representation of who these people are or what they do. This can be the case especially if they don’t have scientists in their family or local community serving as role models.  

That’s why I’m participating in a program to encourage all students to consider studying and pursuing jobs in science. I currently work as a postdoctoral researcher at NIST, where I study diamond as an alternative material to silicon for creating electronic devices, such as computer chips. 

I hope that through volunteering to be a pen pal, I can provide a resource of what a day is like as a scientist and encourage my pen pals’ interest in STEM fields. 

Encouraging the Next Generation of Scientists 

Each school year, I join other STEM professionals from around the country to correspond with students and teach them about the possibilities of careers in our fields. The organization we work with matches us with students from schools in low-income communities, where children may not have many role models in STEM fields. We exchange letters once each quarter during the school year. All communication is moderated and supervised by the teachers and the organization’s coordinator. 

As part of this letter-writing process, I’ve learned it is important not to make assumptions about the students’ backgrounds and to encourage their interests, regardless of how engaged they seem to be or their curiosity about science. The organization suggests what to write about based on what the students are learning and their grade level, typically between 5th and 8th grade. 

One of the most interesting aspects of this work is the questions the kids ask in the letters. Sometimes, they ask about things such as my hobbies, favorite food or where I went to school. 

One student asked if we have deer on NIST’s campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland. (Answer: We have lots of them!) 

Another pen pal mentioned that they want to learn more about science to understand why spiders don’t fall down when they climb a wall. (Answer: They have small hairs that allow them to attach to surfaces.) 

It’s fun to see what kinds of questions kids come up with when introduced to new and exciting things. 

If You Can See It, You Can Be It

The Letters to a Pre-Scientist (LPS) program is so rewarding for me because I get to encourage young people to consider a career in science or engineering — one that has been so fulfilling for me. 

One school year, I corresponded with a student who wanted to work in construction. This is not surprising since kids are often fascinated by construction work and vehicles. Building something from nothing is a very cool job. 

But I wanted them to know there are many other jobs available in similar fields that involve more science and engineering. Additionally, I hoped to encourage their interest in pursuing an advanced degree, where they can potentially develop a STEM career around building something. Although higher education is not for everyone, the goal is to broaden the vision of the types of work available to the kids we correspond with, who may not realize the many career options that exist. 

Ultimately, this pen pal and I talked about architectural engineering — the people who design the buildings construction workers build. I also spoke to them about the career possibilities in the science of cement and other building materials, known as materials science. Without these scientists, the construction trucks wouldn’t have cement to pour or other materials they need to do their jobs. 

These career options aren’t as obvious to children because they don’t see that work as they ride or walk by a construction site. 

While I don’t know if my correspondence changed that student’s perspective, I hope I gave them a few ideas to consider when imagining their future or possibly choosing a major. 

Making the Computer Chips of the Future

As I mentioned previously, I’m researching alternative materials for electronic devices, including computer chips. 

Most chips are made with semiconductors, like silicon. (That’s where the term “Silicon Valley” comes from.) But increasingly, consumer products require electronics to handle more electric power than ever before. Cars, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, phones and more now require advanced electronics that we need to make in the most energy-efficient way possible.

It’s fun to explain this type of work to the students in age-appropriate language. I often tell them about the vacuum chamber I work with to deposit thin metal films for making electronic devices. I once saved a small piece of a quartz slide with gold (not worth anything monetarily) from one of my experiments and sent it along with one of my letters. This gave the student a physical souvenir of the work I do.  

Scientists as Puzzle-Solvers

As a kid, I remember being really interested in creating or building things, whether with Legos or in computer simulator games. I also enjoyed solving puzzles and playing games that made me think outside the box. 

But it wasn’t until around the time I graduated that I realized how I essentially get to build or solve puzzles daily by doing research. This kind of work is engaging to me. I was fortunate to have found the career path that stimulates my interests, even though I hadn’t originally thought of pursuing a career in science, especially not research. 

I wound up on my career path because my high-school math teacher encouraged me to choose a math-intensive major when applying for colleges, due to my performance in his class. My teacher made learning math enjoyable, so it was easy to take his advice confidently. 

That’s the kind of mentor relationship I hope to provide, even if only through four letters.

I can only hope that introducing science, my work, or even my hobbies and lifestyle to my pen pals can help them discover their interests and how to pursue them at an earlier age than I did.