Tiana Vazquez, a 5-year Storm King senior, has proven herself as an exceptional student in many ways. She is already known by her teachers and peers for her artistic talents, her athletic prowess on the soccer and lacrosse fields, her service to the local community, and her excellent academic performance. This summer, Tiana has added yet another interest to her personal roster – Engineering.
On July 15 – 21, Tiana was chosen to attend Cornell University’s CURIE Academy. The CURIE Academy is a one-week summer residential program for high school girls who excel in math and science. The program focuses on juniors and seniors who may not have had prior opportunities to explore Engineering, but want to learn more about the field’s many opportunities in an interactive atmosphere.
During the program, Tiana and the other participants were led by Cornell University’s world-renowned faculty and graduate students in classes, lab sessions, and project research. Social events, panel discussions, and other out-of-classroom activities also provided the students with opportunities to network informally with Cornell faculty, staff, and students.
Mornings at the CURIE Academy consisted of field sessions in various engineering disciplines where students learned about field work, curriculum, current trends, and research. Highlighted by interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities, the students experienced different aspects of Engineering in real-world situations. During the afternoons, the young CURIE scholars worked in small, collaborative groups under the guidance of a Cornell Engineering faculty research director and a team of post-doc, graduate, and undergraduate students who mentored the young CURIE scholars through the program culminating in a specific project. On the final day of the session, the group presented their findings to their mentors, peers, and family members.
Upon her return, Tiana was very excited about her experience at the CURIE Academy where she made many new friends, experienced life on an Ivy League university campus, and explored the exciting possibilities awaiting her in the field of Engineering. “I met amazing people and learned so much! We learned about all the different disciplines directly from engineers in each field, worked on very cool hands-on projects such as making prosthetics, handling liquid Nitrogen, chemically testing water sources, and even designing a subway system! It was an eye-opening experience and has me so excited about a possible career in Engineering,” Tiana explained.
