Nearly 70 high school students from across the Houston area spent a weekend morning moving through different research labs at Rice University in order to get a firsthand view of what pursuing a professional path in science and engineering could entail.
Organized by the Rice Bioengineering Graduate Student Association and funded by the department, the event drew students from districts including Aldine, Spring, Klein and Fort Bend, among others. Participants heard directly from graduate students working across different research areas from robotics to advanced materials, learning about the ways in which bioengineering informs and expands medical practice. The event also included a Q&A session where students could ask questions about applying to college and navigating STEM pathways.
Vanessa Sanchez, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, delivered the opening address, sharing her path into robotics and offering practical advice on navigating school and career decisions.
Jarrett Fowler, bioengineering graduate students’ outreach chair and a former Rice doctoral student, spearheaded the event:
“I have seen how big a difference exposure can make,” Fowler said. “Hopefully we can reach the kids that might need a little bit more encouragement or exposure. This is about showing them what is possible but also that it is okay to have a path that looks differently. Not everyone has it all figured out from the beginning.”
Fowler knows firsthand how limited experience can shape a student’s sense of what they can achieve. He got to college with little background in engineering or foundational STEM subjects, and even though he had set an intention to pursue engineering, he kept gravitating toward more familiar domains. Guidance from mentors played a critical role in helping him find his way to biomedical engineering.
“I didn’t really have exposure to STEM careers growing up, so it was completely foreign to me,” he said. “I wanted to find the kids who were like me, who did not necessarily know what they wanted to do or how to get there.”
For participating students, the event offered the space, time and setting to imagine and explore future selves.
“Seeing how science, medicine and engineering can come together … made me even more excited about my future goals in medicine and neuroscience,” said Aulan Carter, a student at Elkins High School. “The graduate students at Rice University were also so passionate about their research, and that was honestly really inspiring to see.”
Fowler credits Brittany Templeton, assistant director for computer science and math with the Office of STEM Engagement, for her early guidance and encouragement to take the initiative, as well as support from bioengineering graduate students Jeffrey Vanegas and Emily Henrich during the planning process. He said he hopes to continue building the event as a way to connect more Houston students with opportunities in STEM.