National STEM Day is a celebration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It's a day to inspire curiosity, foster innovation, and encourage the next generation of problem-solvers.
In recognition of National STEM Day, and the tremendous contributions STEM educators and parents make year round, we sat down with Ryan D., an 8th grader from Kenosha, Wisconsin, and his mom Stacey, principal of Kenosha School of Technology Enhanced Curriculum (KTEC) High School, to hear their story.
Ryan, how old were you when you learned about mechatronics?
Ryan: I think I was 10, about to turn 11. I learned pretty much that it's harder than it seems. It's basically where we learn all of the parts and stuff. And we learned how to code smaller designs of things that are used to power manufacturing.
So you earned a certification in mechatronics in fifth grade, are you planning to earn more certifications?
Ryan: Yes, I'm planning on getting more. I'd probably want to go into circuits, lighting, and AC/DC.
Stacey: So, Ryan only came and did the mechatronic certification because I was the principal at KTEC Elementary at the time, and Ryan broke his leg and couldn't play baseball, so he got stuck with me and had to come to the mechatronics camp that we ran for middle schoolers and ended up falling in love with it…. I don't want to speak for you Ryan, but you ended up liking it a lot, right?
Ryan: Yes. Last year our school board asked me to come talk about it. So I went in front of our school board and talked about why I feel like we should have mechatronics in our school, and they listened to me, and now this year we have it as one of our classes. So we're doing mechatronics in our school, I think sixth through eighth grade.
You were exposed to mechatronics because you broke your leg?
Ryan: Yes.
Stacey: His dad works in automation, and I work at KTEC, but we had no impact on it. It was Ryan doing it with the mechatronics kit from Festo that changed his mind. Tell them what you wanted to do before you broke your leg…
Ryan: Before, I just wanted to play baseball. That's all I wanted to do.
Is it fun to work with robots or did you find it a little intimidating at first?
Ryan: At first, I thought it was boring, but then after the first class I thought it was super fun and interesting to learn, and I really liked it and enjoyed it.
Do you think it will be important to understand how to work with robots in the future?
Ryan: Yeah, I think it will be really important for kids my age to take classes like mechatronics so they can learn what it's like in a job like manufacturing so they can get into it when they're young and enjoy it. Then they can do it when they're older and enjoy it.
What’s your dream job?
Ryan: Dream job, I'd say is anything where I get to design something and build it to help people. Using engineering and building something to help people who need it. I really want to go into the engineering field but I just don’t know what type of engineering yet.
If you could give a message to kids your age, what would you like to tell them?
Ryan: Don't be afraid to try something new. It could seem boring, something you're not interested in, but always give it a chance and try it. You never know. That could be something you fall in love with and would always want to do for the rest of your life. So I feel like you should always try something before you deny it and when you get the chance to do something, do it. Take the opportunity, take the chance to do it.
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