Three Dedham High School students were treated to a rare inside glimpse into the fascinating and fast-growing fields of biotechnology and engineering.
Dale Armstrong, Sarah Noe, Vivian Daly, and Vincent Rautinaitis attended the School to Careers Bio-Engineering Symposium, a three-day seminar for exceptional science and math students. Only 24 students from seven area high schools were selected to participate nominated by their science or math teachers.
Nominated by their teachers, the students spent three days in the field at leading global bio-tech and engineering companies.
The symposium started at Genzyme Genetics who welcomed the students for a tour and presentations from key staff on products and international growth. The second day included a hands-on DNA lab at Biogen Idec followed by staff question and answers.
The final day was spent learning about environmental and structural engineering at the Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant and ending the day at Shaw Environmental Inc.’s office in Randolph, meeting with a variety of engineers presenting on their world wide projects including the Big Dig, the “unwatering” of New Orleans, and other major engineering feats.
Thanks to a grant from the Society of Military Engineers (SAME), every student attended the symposium on a full scholarship.
SAME Education Committee member and Shaw Senior Scientist, Christen Sardano, said, “Exposing the students to these exciting fields during high school is essential so they can make informed choices about these innovative and growing fields.”
The School to Careers Partnership Director, Katherine Touafek, noted the strong interest from schools, businesses, and parents about this opportunity.
“Connecting school achievement with college choices and careers makes school entirely relevant for our students and exciting” she said.
The School to Careers Partnership is a partnership of seven schools districts (Avon, Blue Hills, Canton, Dedham, Milton, Norwood, and Randolph) providing career exploration and business connections to students and teachers.
