High schoolers explore STEM careers at Summer Engineering Academy
Summer Engineering Academy students explore career opportunities and daily operations at the Missions Mine Complex on July 7 with ASARCO tour guide Michael Landin.
The college’s 2025 Arizona Summer Engineering Academy gave about 130 middle schoolers and 300 ninth- to 12th -graders and recent high school graduates a real-life understanding of engineering fields in high demand, such as mining operations, hypersonic vehicles and semiconductor manufacturing.
Now in its 20th year, SEA’s expanded hands-on programs for high school students include five camps spanning four days and two weeklong residential camps. Additionally, Cummings Aerospace sponsored a five-day camp that immersed middle schoolers in 3D-design and printing, coding and robotics. Other camp focus areas included transportation and infrastructure; energy and water; and light, optics and electronics.
Campers made lifelong connections not just with one another but also with professors, grad students and undergraduate mentors.
Camp counselor and BME sophomore McKenna Athey loves that the camps provide a safe and supportive environment for many students to break out of their shells. She said she loves to watch campers get 'a spark of inspiration' and go from shy to asking lots of questions.
“When I was in high school, I felt like I needed somebody to guide me through engineering, so I wanted to be that for somebody else."