“Today I learned a lot. I learned in a job of engineering you would not only need building skills but also science, arts, math, and technology.” Fifth grader Elena was one of nearly 100 participants in Everest Collegiate High School & Academy’s mother and daughter STREAM event on Monday, March 9.
Two years ago, Everest launched its co-curricular STREAM programming offering students an interdisciplinary approach to the areas of science, technology, religion, engineering, art, and mathematics. STREAM takes the educational movement which launched in the early 2000’s past the more recent STEAM movement, which recognized the importance of art and creativity that was lacking in STEM. STREAM adds the important of religion and the light of truth when considering these disciplines.
The five panelists who shared about their STREAM vocations with Everest’s fourth through eighth grade students and their mothers highlighted the interconnection of the disciplines and the universality of skills and habits required for all STREAM careers. Angela Moloney, founding president and CEO of the Catholic Foundation of Michigan; Kelly Brown who is responsible for leading global planning, methods, tools, and BOM at Fiat Chrysler; Tricia Ruby, president and CEO of Ruby+ Associates, Inc.; Dr. Ann-Marie Neme, D.D.S. who served on the faculty at University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry prior to choosing to stay home with her family and cofounding the nonprofit Choice Detroit; and Christine Warner, director of marketing for the Archdiocese of Detroit and freelance writer shared their experiences, lessons learned, and stories with students.
The panel exposes students to careers they may not know about while also helping them understand the importance of what they are doing in school now. Panelists shared with students how they juggle their careers as a part of their vocation as women, wives, and mothers. Prior to the presentation, students completed questionnaires sharing their ideas about STREAM fields. The questions for the panelists helped students confirm or revisit their ideas coming into the presentation. Prior to the presentation, students all believed that they could have any career and be a mother. “Dr. Neme has eight kids, and she can handle all of them while being a dentist. She also got into U of M. She said that she had to make many sacrifices to get in. She really inspired me. The STREAM presentation was absolutely phenomenal,” shared fourth grader Hannah Megala.
During the presentation, students were called on to tape a STREAM discipline under a panelist’s name or to write skills and habits the panelists need in their careers. This exercise helped students see how each panelist needs multiple disciplines in their careers. Students heard engineer Tricia Ruby talk about how she hated writing when she was in school but now uses that skill all the time. Kelly Brown, whose children attend Everest, shared the importance of the forensics public speaking Everest students participate in each year as a preparation for their future.
The panelists shared one piece of advice with students when considering their future careers. Angela Moloney shared the importance of listening to God’s voice and direction. Christine Warner encouraged students to pay attention to what brings them joy. Ann-Marie Neme emphasized the importance of a network of support and good friends. Kelly Brown shared her experience of being open to change and unexpected shifts in direction.
Elena Neiman shared, “Many of the women wanted to be something else when they were young, and they changed their minds and found something of more interest.” Students had many questions for the panelists at the end of the session about overcoming failure, facing fears, and getting back up when they had fallen.
Many thanks to our panelists, moms, and the advancement team for making this event possible!
