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One hundred middle school students were on Beaufort County Community College’s campus on Thursday, Dec. 8 for a STEM Career Day hosted by the Inner Banks STEM Center. (STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.)

The students were from all Beaufort County public middle schools, except Bath Elementary. They learned about potential careers with Avient, Nutrien, the Bunyan Fire Department and Allied Health. Too, it helped students envision themselves on a college campus. 

President of the Inner Banks STEM Center, Alvin Powell, said kids should consider going into a STEM related field because no matter what job they choose after high school, there will be an element of STEM in each job. STEM can be an intimidating topic for some kids, which is why the STEM Center is trying to “humanize” it. Too, Powell said many children in middle school need a boost of self-confidence in order to see themselves in a related job. 

Vicki Hamill is the director of CTE, workforce, innovation and STEM with Beaufort County Schools. She said it’s important to have middle schoolers consider what they will do upon graduating from high school, because middle schoolers make decisions about how far they will go in school and whether or not they will graduate. 

“When they start making decisions in middle school about what the rest of their life is going to look like, it’s important to make sure they get exposed to opportunities they may not know about,” Hamill said. She added that some STEM jobs only require a certificate which can be obtained through Beaufort County Community College. 

The Inner Banks STEM Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that encourages kids to plan for their futures and consider STEM as a possible career path.