Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education is a key philanthropic focus area for Symantec. Despite the career opportunities and job growth in STEM fields, there is a shortage of interest among young people, particularly among women and minorities. Among the students who took the 2013 ACT exams, only 23% of high school seniors expressed interest in pursuing STEM college majors and careers. Symantec has promised an investment of $20 million by 2020 to support STEM education. The partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a strategic and vital step in promoting STEM education among youth.
One piece to promoting STEM careers among young people is to introduce them to occupations in STEM, what they entail and the steps one can take to pursue such a career. Four Symantec employees share their career paths in short videos on the Boys & Girls Clubs of America website, myclublife.com, from the courses they took in high school and college to the varying jobs they had prior to joining Symatec. Each has a dedicated page and brief video as part of the “STEM 101: Careers” article series. They share encouraging advice and knowledge of their respective journeys, with a common thread of pursuing one’s passion and taking the necessary steps to enhance learning and growth in science, technology, engineering, and math. Each of their pages and videos can be accessed below.
Follow your passion. Do what you love and love what you do. Read. Be interested, and interesting. Take as many systems and systems integration classes as you can, take computer programming and design, and as many technical classes as you can. ~ Kim Byelick, Senior Principal Program Manager at Symantec
Watch Kim’s video here. http://www.myclubmylife.com/Arts_Tech/Pages/stem-careers-science.aspx
Choose a career you love, and I promise you, you will never work a day in your life, so read and absorb all you can. Ask questions often and continue to follow your dreams. As the great Nelson Mandela said, ‘It only seems impossible, until it is done.’ ~ Adriana Babino, Security Solutions Architect at Symantec
Watch Adriana’s video here. http://www.myclubmylife.com/Arts_Tech/Pages/stem-careers-technology.aspx
What I would encourage is, now middle schools and many high schools are offering classes in [STEM]. They are typically titled ‘Intro to Programming,’ ‘Intro to Engineering,’ ‘Web design,’ ‘App design.’ Go explore those. Don't be intimated; there will always be someone who already knows it, but it doesn't matter, you are there to learn, so go try them out. ~ Nehal Mehta Director, Technology Alliances at Symantec
Watch Nehal’s video here. http://www.myclubmylife.com/Arts_Tech/Pages/stem-careers-engineering.aspx
The key to my success is that I have always loved what I am doing. My education was fun and exciting, not always easy, but having the opportunity to do something that I love every day is amazing. To me, this is key to happiness in life. Find what ignites your passion, and pursue it with everything you have. I wake up every day looking forward to the new challenges that day will bring. ~ Rob Lindenbusch, Principle Product Specialist at Symantec
Watch Rob’s video here. http://www.myclubmylife.com/Arts_Tech/Pages/stem-careers-mathematics.aspx