Pine Grove Middle School hosts STEM Career Day

Published 1:38 pm Monday, March 4, 2024

VALDOSTA — Pine Grove Middle School recently hosted its annual STEM Career Day, an event showcasing the exciting intersection of science, technology, engineering, and math with real-world career opportunities.

With an impressive turnout of nearly 90 presenters, the event aimed to inspire students by demonstrating how their academic endeavors can lead to fulfilling careers, according to a press release from the Lowndes County School System.

Presenters ranged from business owners to educators and airmen to news media, providing an interest for every student. Each industry had its own display station, allowing students to travel at their own speed and engage in insightful conversations.

Eighth-grader Khloe McKnight expressed her enthusiasm for the event just after checking out WALB’s high-tech microphone and camera. “My favorite booth was the news reporter,” she said. “She uses technology to inform people about what is happening across our community.”

Tracy Smith, a PGMS science teacher, was excited to see how engaged the students were. As the event organizer, she was hoping to “give the students a chance to make connections between what they are learning in the classroom and real-world situations, and maybe even expose them to careers they didn’t know existed.”

Echoing Smith’s sentiments, eighth-grader Athena Clark emphasized the value of discovering new career paths.

“It is so fun to see the different careers that I didn’t know about before today,” says Clark. “They really incorporate science and math just like we are learning in school.”

Career presenters spanned through the entire gymnasium and throughout the parking lot for those better suited for the outdoors like Lowndes County Fire Rescue, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, and different agricultural industries.

“The community is so supportive,” Smith said. “We are thankful for the businesses who took time to come interact with our students each year.”