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Thursday, Mar 28th

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Sandia shakes, rattles, rolls for Gallup students

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Students step into a new world

About 45 Gallup high school juniors and seniors took in a little shake, rattle and roll at Sandia Labs’ Environmental Test & Evaluation Complex in Albuquerque during a special STEM Day held just for them on March 4.

After a morning of high-impact experiences showcasing arms control and terrorism monitoring equipment at Sandia’s Training and Technology Demonstration Area, an animated cluster of students filed into the testing complex to witness how materials perform in a vibration lab, a shock lab, a climate lab and more.

“STEM Day at the Labs introduces high school students to the work at Sandia as they consider career paths,” Manager of Community Involvement at Sandia Amy Tapia says. “This unique partnership between Sandia Community Involvement, recruiting and our American Indian Outreach Committee did more than ‘wow’ them with demonstrations. Our employees at every level from engineer to technician related personal stories of how they became a part of Sandia.”

Carrie Lovato, director of College and Career Readiness for Gallup-McKinley County School District, described the day as impactful. “The kids got to see and hear about an exciting variety of STEM jobs at the labs, including many that don’t require an engineering degree,” she said. “Most think a job at Sandia is out of reach. They learned today (March 4) firsthand that people just like them from communities just like theirs have great careers at the labs.”

Mariana Vega, a senior at Gallup High School, has been accepted to NMSU and hopes to become a civil engineer. “Everything we’re seeing today at the labs is really fascinating,” she said. “What’s my dream job? I’m not sure and that’s why today has been so great for me. I feel one step closer to knowing what I really want to do.”