Talia FIne

STEM Club Co-President Mikayla Cheng demonstrates the creation of a hexaflexagon.

Cancer research, 3D printing, and self-driving cars are only a few mysteries being tackled in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) world, and the Carlmont STEM Club strives to help students discover their passions within those subjects.

STEM Club co-president Jason Liu, a junior, said, “[Co-Presidents] Tiffany Chung and Mikayla Cheng and I have shifted the goal of our club to further foster membership interest in the fields mentioned previously, and to expose members to the myriad of future careers involving STEM-related components.”

STEM encompass many practical and interesting subjects that students can explore for their own reasons.

“I wanted to join STEM Club because I intend on pursuing a career in STEM, and I find it really interesting,” said Rachel.Amir Chatman, a freshman.

Not all students join for career preparation; some join simply for interest.

“I am interested in the fields that STEM covers, and I joined the club because I wanted to learn more about each field,” said club member Nate Yeo, a junior.

The club facilitates this in a variety of ways with an assortment of activities, which are greatly enjoyed by club members.

Liu said, “The club has over 30 members; though on average, club meetings consist of 15-20 students, while many others come exclusively for the monthly trips.”

The club’s regular field trips to large STEM-based companies to learn about work in the real world are popular attractions for members.

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STEM Club poses for a yearbook photo for the 2016-2017 school year. (Tiffany Chung)

“This year, we have been able to tour companies like Google and YouTube, and we’ve heard professionals speak about how they discovered their interests in the careers that they pursued,” said Phoebe Zhang, a junior.

The opportunities to go on the trips are extremely accessible.

“Our trips are free and available to all club members,” said Liu.

They provide a unique experience for club members to see what these companies are really like to work for.

“We engage in discussions about upcoming discoveries in STEM and are informed about STEM-related learning opportunities in our community,” said Chatman.

Both types of STEM Club functions are enjoyed by members and provide unique opportunities for students to create their own relationships with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

“We’re just a group of intelligent students all working toward a common goal, which is to explore STEM,” said Chatman.

Already, interest in STEM has been growing in schools, as more are implementing STEM or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) core programs. Also, the percentage of STEM-employment is expected to grow about 7 percent more than non-STEM employment in the years 2008 until 2018. Evidently, STEM is on the rise and Carlmont has established its own relationship with its subjects.

“With STEM we can cure cancer, stop global warming, or create the next big thing; the possibilities are endless,” said Co-President Tiffany Chung, a junior.