Three Bedford High School students built their foundation on faith.
In theory that’s all right, but in practical, structural design? Not so much.
Or so you’d think.
The students, partaking in SSOE’s “Engineer for a Day” program Tuesday, ended up with the second-most structurally sound, student-constructed building frame.
Madi Wolff, 15, Justine Farmer, 18, and Eric Puls, 17, were all pleasantly surprised. Before the structures went head-to-head against others — and with miniature water bottles stacked atop them and withstanding a gentle table shake to simulate a “seismic event“ — the Wolff youth advocated that the trio not cry when their building, constructed entirely of colorful smoothie straws and white labels used as tape, tumbled to the ground.
Engineer for a Day, which the engineering and architectural firm has hosted for more than 10 years, brings in high school students — this year, from Adrian and Bedford — during Engineers Week.
Targeting younger students who have an interest in science, math, and technical education is a win-win. Students can learn more about a job they might be interested in and can ask questions to professionals in the field, and the company can build a pipeline of potential future hires, said Brad Rowe, director of talent acquisition at SSOE.
“We’re doing outreach at a younger age,” he said. “Fifteen years ago we would do outreach to the university students … and really at this stage we feel we need to be driving that down to high school and grade-school levels.”
Mr. Rowe said there is a shortage of engineers in the United States, which he partially attributes to retiring baby boomers and others with educational interests in other fields.
Bedford senior Charlie Cook, 18, said he’s drawn specifically to mechanical engineering, an interest fostered while working on cars with his father.
He’s bought and fixed four trucks, he said, and plans to attend the University of Toledo.
Joe Miles, who teaches Project Lead the Way, an engineering and design program at Adrian High School, brought eight students to SSOE on Tuesday. The experience working with SSOE engineers shows students how engineering and design compliment one another and how practical their math and science studies are, Mr. Miles said.
“They’re actually going to use it,” he said.
Contact Taylor Dungjen at tdungjen@theblade.com, or 419-724-6054, or on Twitter @taylordungjen.
First Published February 24, 2016, 5:00 a.m.
