Rounding the corner on two years of piloting Catalyst programs, we’re shining a light on those industry professionals that give generously of themselves to inspire the next generation of engineers, programmers, scientists, and more. Catalyst volunteers come from a range of STEM professions and bring a wealth of real-world knowledge into the classroom. Here are two of our inspirational volunteers, who reflected on their time with the program:

Emilia Lopez, Volunteer

Share a bit about your professional background:

I am a Civil Engineer with over 25 years experience in Environmental, Civil and Telecommunications construction projects. I retired two years ago from one of the largest communication technology companies in the world after 20 years of service. My career was tremendously rewarding and not only provided me with incredible engineering experience but also experience in project management, finance and customer service. I have been very busy since I retired by volunteering with many non-profit organizations in the City of Boston assisting the Latino community and also the city's youth. 

Why were you excited to participate in this program?

I was excited to participate in this program because I firmly believe that the younger kids are exposed to STEM concepts/learning, the more likely they are prone to choose these types of careers as adults. The Citizen Schools Catalyst model not only helps to inspire students by giving them the opportunity to work side by side with an industry professional but the program also helps to support teachers. That's the part I love. It shows teachers that their work is recognized, important and appreciated. It shows them there is an entire community out there championing them! 

What was a highlight from your participation?

The highlight was working with such an amazing teacher, Steve Swiech from Boston Prep. It was a true collaborative effort between, Steve, myself and our other classroom volunteer Jay Dirner. Steve was so open to suggestions and ideas it was amazing. He would keep in communication with us and let us know ahead of time what the lesson plans would be and constantly ask for our feedback. At the end of every class we would loop back and talk about what went well and what needed some tweaking. He's an amazing teacher who gives 100% every day to his students and I was so honored to work with him and be able to support in any way I could. 

What is a lesson or 'aha' you are taking away from this experience?

Great question. The lesson I am taking away from this experience solidifies what I already knew, that not all students want to go to or are meant to go to college. I had a student say to me "Ms. Lopez, I don't want to become an engineer, I am not interested in Robotics, I am not interested in this class". I appreciated his honesty!  I was helping teach a Robotics class and the class was built into their curriculum but not everyone was interested in being there. Students who struggle in general education classes need to be exposed to alternative learning paths or we run into the danger of losing them. College is not for everyone and the skilled trades are a wonderful alternative. For the first time in the U.S. there are more job listings than there are qualified workers in the trades. There is great need for plumbers, electricians, welders, brick masons, etc. The trades are a technical education and I believe they should be built into all STEM programs.  

Jay Dirner, Volunteer - Senior Engineering Technical Writer, MathWorks

Share a bit about your professional background:

I have degrees in mechanical engineering, and have 16 years of experience in microelectronics packaging, manufacturing processes, and more recently technical documentation and software. I currently manage a small team documenting software for technical computing and design. Outside of work, I have participated in several volunteer engagements with student projects, prior to my volunteer work with Citizen Schools.

Why were you excited to participate in this program?

I am passionate about engineering and I want to help highlight the field of study and career path to students, particularly alongside teachers who can further mentor their students in post-secondary education and career decisions. Also, my personal upbringing and education emphasized community service and community engagement.

What was a highlight from your participation?

Two highlights stand out. First, the teams and I had conversations that really mirrored engineering practice. For example, a particular team was considering a whole-scale rebuild of their assembly because there was too little base clearance for their propeller. In discussing the problem with them, we reviewed the requirements and asked, “Do the requirements specify how large or small the propeller has to be?”

Second, I really enjoyed working with a student on debugging, instructing how to comment out (deactivate without deleting) sections of code to run commands one at a time, then progressively reactivate the whole program.

What is a lesson or 'aha' you are taking away from this experience?

Students impressed me with their instinctive knowledge of how to design and prototype, particularly how to articulate requirements, sketch designs, and compose pseudocode. The fine details of engineering take practice, of course, but I was impressed how quickly the students got their projects off the ground. I give great credit to their instructor for providing a solid instructional framework for the class.