STEM and LLHS STEM Academy begins
The 2018-19 school year saw the inaugural cohort for the LLHS STEM Academy. Entrance in the Academy requires a separate enrollment application and uses nationally-accredited, activity-, project-, and problem-based Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum. Our STEM Academy is meant to challenge those with interest in science, technology, engineering and math fields and who are highly motivated to learn. PLTW requires LLHS to partner with local industries and work to find mentors who can help answer questions about future courses of study, college programs, internships, or challenges in the classroom. The first class offered was Introduction to Engineering Design, and Principles of Engineering will be offered fall semester 2019.
Alumni in STEM
Before the formal STEM curriculum, Lakeside certainly has had a vibrant history of science, math and tech ed courses that thousands of grads—alumni and alumnae—have put to work. Likewise, though this past year was our first year of a formal Society of Women Engineers (more info on p. 2), many of our alumnae are in STEMrelated fields—and they are grateful for the many ways Lakeside prepared them for their careers. Thanks to these alum 15 years out from graduation who responded to some questions about STEM and LLHS: Natasha (Fabian) Steenbergen (LL ‘04) Senior Sales Operations Planning Analyst Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Milwaukee “I manage global inventory levels for Softail and Electric motorcycle families, and request production that supports our inventory strategy having the right bikes in the right places at the right times.” How did Lakeside prepare you for further education? I was the Editor-InChief of the Warrior Times Weekly and co-Editor of KEMO [yearbook], so I gained valuable experience in seeing ideas through to fruition, and continuously improving my products. Mrs. Schommer went the extra mile to make sure I was ready when it was time to leave the nest and graduate. The coursework across various classes gave me a foundation in research and development, data validation, and conducting myself in an ethical manner. I attended public colleges and never wavered in knowing the Christ-centered way to conduct my activities. What do you find rewarding about working in the STEM field? I love how fast manufacturing changes. There are so many revelations when you’re customer-led that require new ways of doing business to respond faster and stay profitable. The textbook principles still hold, but we try new things far more than I ever expected to. I have only been in my career 10 years and the education, experience, and skills required to succeed page 4 | Lakeside Lutheran Link | 2019 Issue 1 | llhs.org
have all changed. The job I’ll hold 3-5 years from now probably doesn’t even exist yet. Encouragement for someone considering your field? “How” you do your work is at least as important as your actual results. Having a firm foundation in your faith, ethics, and how you conduct yourself will set you up well to learn any hard skills that you’re interested in.
Libby (Gernetzke) Stahl (LL ‘05) Microbiologist Summit Brewing Company, Saint Paul, Minn. “I test beer throughout the fermentation process for microbes, test equipment for sanitation efficacy, and am in charge of propagating yeast strains for all the beers.” What do you find rewarding about working in the STEM field? I love science; being able to go to an awesome job every day using the education I pursued is a huge feeling of accomplishment. There are so many opportunities God presents in our lifetime. It’s special that we can choose a career field and work towards that goal. STEM is personally rewarding for me, as I know the quality control work I’m doing is important to the company and to consumers. Did a teacher stand out? I enjoyed Mr. Tracy’s classes, as he always had a passion for the subjects, and a fantastic sense of humor that I now understand.
