As coordinator for Indium Corporation's STEM Outreach programs, I get to visit a lot of interesting places. This can include everything from college campuses for career fairs to elementary schools for classroom speaking events. On January 25th I was invited to Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) to meet with faculty members and students, and tour the various vocational labs on their Utica, NY campus (they also have a wonderful campus in Rome, NY).
During the visit, I got the opportunity to speak with several faculty members from the Center for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics about Indium Corporation, and how to prepare their students for various careers available with technology-driven companies. After a discussion with faculty, we moved on to a classroom where I was able to address some students. After providing an overview of Indium Corporation, and some of the science behind what we do, I answered questions about our career and internship opportunities. The students had some great questions and I'm hoping that I will be hearing from them again in the future!
The most interesting part of the visit was being able to tour the various labs and hands-on teaching facilities on campus. In the Fab Lab I was able to check out the impressive collection of laser engravers, CNC milling machines, and 3D printers, some of which were actively printing at the time. We also got the opportunity to check out the machine shop and mechatronics lab. MVCC has some very impressive equipment and programs for preparing students to transfer to 4 year schools or transition into the Central New York workforce.
Thank you to the faculty and staff that were gracious hosts and tour guides!