62 Local High School Students Attended NOVA’s Summer ET Ready Program
This summer, NOVA’s Engineering Technology (ET) Ready program attracted 62 local high school students. ET Ready is a one-week program for 9th to 11th graders that provides hands-on exposure to Engineering Technology topics and includes tours of local industries such as Iron Mountain, QTS, and Micron. The goal of ET Ready is to guide students into Bridge Programs next summer and ultimately into a technology career pathway through NOVA.
NOVA STEM Education Coordinator Ti’Era Worsley led the program. She explained, “During the ET Ready program, students experienced pneumatics, industrial PLCs, and electronics to understand some of the daily job demands of engineering technicians.”
To further provide students with real-world experiences, they visited data centers to learn about the rapidly growing field and see firsthand the role of pneumatics, industrial PLCs, and electronics within data center operations.
“Students also engaged in open discussions with the instructors about various career paths, breaking down the differences between engineering and engineering technology, and exploring the options that NOVA provides.”
Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive:
Emma Nguyen, sophomore at Gainesville High School:
“I discovered that engineering involves building, hands-on activities, and covers various subjects. The field trip to Iron Mountain was fascinating because I didn’t know much about data centers before. Now, I’m even more interested in engineering and feel like it’s a great path for me.”
Jennifer Guevara, sophomore at Patriot High School:
“Since I’m not sure what I want to do after high school, I’m exploring various programs and careers. I attended a STEM information night at NOVA, learned about the bridge program, and signed up. I’ve enjoyed my time here, especially learning about the STEM simulators and touring Iron Mountain.
My uncle, who repairs and builds laptops from scratch, has inspired me to enter the technology field. My parents support my decision to attend NOVA after graduation. I like that NOVA offers flexible class schedules, which will allow me to take classes and work.”
Godwin Ansu’gyan, senior at Woodbridge High School:
“Three years ago, I became interested in engineering and STEM. I signed up for the bridge program to learn more about engineering and figure out which field interests me before starting college. I’ve enjoyed the program; it has built up my confidence, and it was great to have Mr. Castro, who was my teacher in 10th grade, as an instructor again.”
Hailey Denton, sophomore at Washington Liberty High School:
“I attended this camp to explore whether engineering technology is a field I’d like to pursue. I’ve learned a lot this week, including how to program machines to perform various tasks. At Iron Mountain, I was surprised by the amount of energy required to keep everything running. I plan to take an engineering-related class at school to learn more about it.”
Hadi Tabbara, sophomore at Manassas Park High School:
“I’ve always loved math and science, and after taking an engineering class at school, I was curious about this program. I enjoyed touring the data center and learning about different jobs, how they interact with each other, and the various clearance levels. I have a better understanding of the engineering field now and want to explore it further.”
Adonya Hailu, sophomore at Colgan High School:
“This week, I learned more about STEM, programming, and circuit boards. Iron Mountain is very secure; everything has passwords, and there are dark screens to prevent visibility. I’m more excited about engineering now.”
Gabriela Dettre, sophomore at Gainesville High School:
“I’ve learned more about NOVA, engineering, and programming. The trip to Iron Mountain was cool. There are a lot of data centers in our area, but I wasn’t sure what they did, so seeing inside one was eye-opening. I’m even more interested in engineering now that I know more about it.”
Navira Azad, senior at Virginia Virtual Academy:
“During the trip to Micron, I learned so much more than I expected. They told us about a new apprenticeship program they started this year, and we learned how they make wafers and similar things. I really enjoyed it.”
Akyra Obligacion, sophomore at Falls Church High School:
“Highlights from this program include figuring out how things work, like the insides of machines. I loved the Micron tour. We learned that their rooms are a thousand times cleaner than a hospital because of their air pressure floors. If there’s any dust, they have to scrap the entire disc. Certain parts of the building cost $30 million.”
Ryan Hagan, rising senior at Hayfield High School:
“I’ve enjoyed the hands-on learning in this program, especially working with the breadboard. It’s interesting, and it makes learning easier. This program demonstrates what some of the IET pathways are like and what you would do in a career.”
Darin Hagen, rising sophomore at Hayfield High School:
“I’ve enjoyed learning about pneumatics and the hands-on activities. This has been a great program.”
Safi Azad, sophomore at Virtual Virginia:
“I love this program. I’ve really enjoyed Mr. Carlos Castro’s teaching style. At Micron, there’s a mirror that looks like a red layer of glass you can’t see through, almost like a window. But then they flipped a switch and cleaned the window with a massive vacuum. It was amazing.”
The NOVA ET Ready program sparks students’ interest in engineering technology, providing practical knowledge and a strong foundation for their future success in STEM.