Students got a hands-on feel for careers in STEM on October 18 at the STEM Spectacle, sponsored by the Center for Career & Transfer Services and the STEM Starter Academy.
Representatives from several dynamic companies were in attendance to tell students what it's like to work in their industries, what day-to-day responsibilities are like and the benefits that come with employment. Companies also gave demonstrations of their equipment and showed examples of products they created.
According to representatives from David Clark, students can start as technicians and work on a variety of products such as specialized aviation headsets, which STEM Spectacle participants were able to test in real time. The company is also known for manufacturing aviation and aerospace suits since the 1940s. Senior Electrical Engineer Yang Chhoeuk noted that there are currently seven QCC graduates working at David Clark as technicians, including recent 2023 graduate Christian Thompson.
Also represented were pharmacuetical manufacturer Abbvie Precision Coating, which develops medical devices and Hutchinson, a manufacturer of vibration control solutions for everything from helicopters to submarines.
Local favorite Table Talk Pies had a presence at the STEM Spectacle as well. While it may not be the first company that comes to mind when you think of STEM, the representatives from the company noted that it takes science and math to come up with the formulas for the recipes and to operate the machines. Table Talk makes anywhere from 1 to 3 million pies per day, proving STEM can be delicious!