USCHS hosts STEAM roundtable event
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Twenty-four Upper St. Clair High School students recently participated in a roundtable breakfast event to learn more about their math and science teachers and their personal journeys and experiences in STEAM.
Hosted by the school’s Spark Students into STEAM (SSIS) Club, the event was held on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.
Spark Students into STEAM officers include seniors Nishma Ghimire, Mia Manalo and Anna Engelman along with junior Tahir Disbudak. Science teacher Dawn Mostowy serves as the club’s sponsor.
“The STEAM Teacher’s Breakfast serves as a unique opportunity for students to learn about their teachers,” Nishma said. “Last spring’s breakfast was a great success, with both students and teachers expressing their excitement, so the club leaders knew another one should be planned.”
The goal of the event was for students to gain more insight on their former, current and/or future STEAM teachers. Participating science and math teachers included Dawn Mostowy (biology), Dr. Colin Syme (anatomy), Laura Marks (chemistry), Blaise Cackovic (physics), Seth Williams (engineering) and Dr. Michael Funfar (geometry).
“The wide variety of expertise allowed students to gain insights into many different fields of study,” Nishma said. “SSIS believes that more students should be involved in STEAM, and providing students with opportunities to interact and learn from their own teachers is just the beginning.”
Each teacher was assigned a table that accommodated a small group of students. Every seven minutes, each group of students rotated from table to table.
“Teachers discussed their motivations to pursue STEAM, college education, jobs, and unique opportunities they experienced,” Nishma said. “Students were able to learn about various different pathways, with subjects such as geometry, chemistry, biology, engineering, physics and anatomy!”
Spark Students into STEAM plans to host another breakfast roundtable event in the spring.
“Events such as the STEAM Teachers Breakfast are important because they allow students to gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities that are related to STEAM,” Nishma said. “Connecting with professionals is one of the best ways to learn about careers and jobs, and the breakfast highlighted this idea – connecting students to teachers, right here at Upper St. Clair High School!”
- USCHS