Industry Day Big Hit at
TransTech Academy
Students Display Intellectual and
Leadership Skills
By Dorothy Rowley
WI Staff Writer
With unemployment among
blacks having soared in recent
years, students at Cardozo Senior
High School’s TransTech Academy
in Northwest are opting for careers
centered around science, technology, engineering and math [STEM]
where jobs remain plentiful.
During Cardozo’s 3rd Annual
Industry Day, which attracted 70
professionals from aviation and
aeronautics, construction, engineering, and transportation, students listened attentively and asked
questions while pondering career
choices.
“Those students were sharp,
bright and inquisitive,” said Sonya Stewart, 47, vice president for
Enterprise Applications Solutions
at Lockheed Martin in Northern
Virginia. “We had the right [mix]
of young people. They asked ques-
www.washingtoninformer.com tions about how we [as professionals] got to where we are.”
Stewart – whose company along
with the National Association of
Black Women in Construction
[NABWIC] sponsored the daylong
May 10 event – said students in the
TransTech program are indicative
of the many African-American students destined for success. Largely,
because of their intellectual capability and demonstrated leadership,
she said.
“I go to a lot of industry events
that are designed toward STEM,
and industry leaders are eager to
show up to engage these young
people,” said Stewart. “As I went
from room to room and listened
to pieces of the conversations between students and professionals,
the exchange was fascinating.”
The TransTech program – which
boasts a 95 percent graduation rate
– provides 125 students in grades
9-12 experiences in the STEM
education
ed to go work for Mickey Mouse,”
Washington said, with an infectious
chuckle. “Disney had a great engineering program, but when I got
out of school they didn’t have any
openings.”
She said that when NASA recruited her, she only planned to
work there for a year, and then parlay that experience to Disney. However, on her second day at NASA,
she fell in love with her work. “I
have never worked any place else,
Students who attend TransTech Academy on the campus of Cardozo Senior
and nor have I ever wanted to work
High School in Northwest, learned about the different jobs offered in aviation, elsewhere,” Washington said.
aeronautics, engineering, construction and more. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter
D’Quan Young counted among
students clearly impressed by the
Marcietta Washington, 51, a panelists. The 18-year-old graduatdisciplines that will guide them on
project manager for the National ing senior appeared mesmerized by
their career paths. About 85 perAeronautics and Space Administra- Paul Bradshaw who talked about
cent of the program’s graduates go
tion (NASA) in Southwest, scored being an architect with Grimm and
on to higher education – and many
high marks with students. Through Parker Architects in Calvert, Md.
get a jump start with participaher engaging dialogue and knack for
tion in programs like the Summer
“All of the speakers were very
remembering their names, Wash- helpful,” D’Quan said. “But Mr.
Transportation Institute at Howard
ington told her young audience that Bradshaw gave me the idea to visit
University.
although she attended college in Howard University, which is known
“The point was to expose stuFlorida on engineering and basket- for its engineering and architecture
dents to professionals in various
ball scholarships, she longed to play [curriculums]. I’m definitely going
careers so that they could talk to
professional basketball.
them about what they do and how
to college to study architecture.”
But after graduating, Washington
they actually got [there],” said CaBradshaw, 48, said he finds
and some of her fellow classmates events like Industry Day enjoyable.
reer Day coordinator Shirley Mcoften found themselves watching
Call, 60. “We have a diverse group
“It’s always good to get feedback
space shuttle launches in Orlando.
of students, and under ordinary cirfrom [students] because it makes
“I didn’t want to work for NASA people like me more excited about
cumstances many of them do not
when I came out of college, I want- the work we do,” he said. wi
[get] that kind of exposure.”
The Washington Informer
May 17, 2012 - May 23, 2012
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