GHS Students Welcome Panelists For Engaging Talk

Approximately 250 Gilbert High School students took part in the Math Speaker Panel yesterday afternoon in the auditorium. The gist of the talk — why math matters.

The group of speakers brought in to speak to the students included:

•Matt Thatcher, a Manufacturing Engineering Specialist at 3M.

•Dr. Beth Hartmann, a teaching professor at ISU with a background in engineering.

•Jerry Roche, a Transportation Safety Engineer at Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety.

•Mike Francom, the Chief Fiscal Officer at ISU.

Each of the panelists gave background information and how math pertains to their everyday activities. Students then got the chance to ask questions of the panelists and they included:

•If you could go back and start over, is there anything you’d do differently?

•How has your high school education affected your everyday life?

•Are there any situations in your job that school didn’t prepare you for?

•What are a few of the most important skills in your profession?

•Why is math required for students in high school and college if they’re not intending to go into a math field?

The panelists talked about how math helps students to be problem solvers, regardless of the field they eventually pursue. And math plays a role in a number of fields, including art, finance, science, engineering, and so many more.

Some of the best quotes from the panelists:

•”Be open to the talents you have that you might not have known about before.”

•”Even though you might not use every bit of (math), it will open doors for you.”

•”Follow your curiosity and see where it takes you.”

•”Try things and it’s OK to be OK.”

•”What you’re going to learn in math and science is problem solving.”

•Learning how to learn is really important in your high school and college career.”

This was a fantastic talk about math and also about life in general. The panel members gave our students great advice and, perhaps, made them think about things in a way they never had before.

Thank you to the panelists for spending an hour with our students, and thank you to our students for staying engaged throughout the program!