For many high school students, the idea of having to choose what career they wish to pursue as an adult is a daunting task that they would rather not even consider. For students at KHS who have considered this question and came to the realization that they are interested in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)- related occupation, the Math Honors Society, advised by math teacher Jacqueline Bagarozza, invited an engineer to speak about his profession and what it requires.
The guest speaker, Andy Feldman, who is an engineer at Picatinny Arsenal, came to Kinnelon High School on Dec. 6. He spoke about his specific field as a mechanical engineer, and also the various other types of engineers, along with what all of these positions entail.
For the older students in attendance who may soon be taking college courses in preparation for their future job, he explained some of the steps that should be taken in order for one to become an engineer, and he spoke about his own college experience and why it was so rewarding, saying, “I like having something that’s broken… and being able to fix it.”
Feldman graduated from Lafayette College, and earned his masters in engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, but in the beginning, he was indecisive about what major to choose.
“Just go for it,” he says to students unsure about pursuing engineering in college, referencing how it is easier to switch out of engineering to another major than into engineering.
His message of how engineering is more of a way of thinking than a set of technical skills was inspiring, with Math Honors Society officer and attendee of the speech, Ethan Butka, saying, “Engineering is not as scary as I thought it was.”
While the event was very informative, anyone interested in STEM should not hesitate to explore the plethora of careers in this category, regardless of whether they were present for this occasion or not.
