On April 9, 2024, an IGNITE Worldwide Field Trip took place at Oracle’s Reston, VA location, hosting students from Hardy Middle School and Cardozo Education Campus. The event aimed to provide an interactive learning experience and a deeper look into the tech industry. Oracle volunteers enthusiastically led the various activities.
The day kicked off with warm greetings from Onyinyechi Nwogu, Chantice Cotten, Beth Sammons, Angelita Wright, Ebonne Brown, and Jinyoung Kim, setting the tone for an engaging exploration of Oracle’s operations. Guided tours led by Onyinyechi Nwogu, Khushboo Nigam, Melissa Sanders, Beth Sammons, and Sophia Thach offered students insights into the company’s innovative projects and diverse career opportunities. After the tour, Sophia and Beth, along with their team, orchestrated a blind design game, mirroring the precision required in computer programming.
In this activity, students were tasked with detailing step-by-step instructions for dressing up for a special event, emphasizing the importance of clarity and specificity in coding. Excitement filled the room as students exchanged instructions and attempted to follow them to draw their partner’s outfit. Laughter sounded as the students navigated through the hilarious interpretations of their instructions.
After the activity, students had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion featuring industry experts Marjorie Lynum, Consulting Technical Manager, Sophia Thach, Senior Site Reliability Engineer, and Danita Moore, Senior Director. Facilitated by Kimberly Longwell, the panel delved into the intricacies of careers in technology, offering insights and encouraging anecdotes. Students were given the chance to ask questions, fostering an exchange that showed students how they could relate to the Panelists and left a lasting impression.
Thank you to Onyinyechi Nwogu, Khushboo Nigam, Melissa Sanders, Beth Sammons, and Sophia Thach for your outstanding efforts as tour guides and activity leaders. Additionally, thank you to Sophia Thach and Beth Sammons for stepping up as activity leaders and to Kimberly Longwell for skillfully facilitating the event’s panel discussion. To Marjorie Lynum, Sophia Thach, and Danita Moore, your insights as Panelists were enlightening and left a lasting impression on the students. Lastly, immense gratitude to Katherine Ogueri and Chinyelu Ndubisi for their invaluable contributions as Educators.
After attending this event:
77%
of students know more about STEM career choices and the benefits of working in a STEM field
63%
of students feel more confident in pursuing STEM
79%
of students gained perspective and feel more hopeful about the future
Here’s what the students thought of the event:
“This event inspired me to never give up. It also inspired me to pursue my dreams.” – 8th Grade IGNITE Student
“My favorite thing I learned today was learning about data storage and the activity we did.” – 8th Grade IGNITE Student
“Today’s event inspired me to pursue my dreams and to never give up on what I love. My favorite thing I learned today was each individual’s position and the data storage.” – 8th Grade IGNITE Student
“Today’s event inspired me because an experience from one of the speakers made me realize that I shouldn’t give up on my dreams no matter any struggle. My favorite thing I learned was about how data was stored at Oracle.” – 8th Grade IGNITE Student
“Today’s event inspired me because it showed me how being in and learning STEM can help me. It also showed me where STEM got other girls/women today. My favorite thing I learned today is about the server room.” – 6th Grade IGNITE Student
“Today’s event was very inspiring. It made me want to do more in STEM. Now I know that I can do Architecture/building/designing things even if there aren’t other females to work with. It was very interesting to see how people worked without reading about it.” – 7th Grade IGNITE Student
“I learned about finding jobs. I learned how the classes you take can affect your career. I liked learning about different jobs in STEM. I also liked learning about how computers use directions.” – 7th Grade IGNITE Student
“I was inspired by the panelists because we got to hear their stories and stuff that happened. And when people said their questions and answers, it helped me think more. My favorite thing I learned was about the steps on computer programming and how specific it was.” – 7th Grade IGNITE Student
“Today’s event inspired me because it helped me understand how jobs work and how teamwork works. My favorite thing was learning about the people who shared their stories and how they got this job.” – 7th Grade IGNITE Student
“It inspired me that I can be more confident in myself while speaking publicly. I really liked learning about just the building and all of the effort behind the screen that engineers/STEM people work on.” – 7th Grade IGNITE Student
“Today’s event inspired me how strong people can overcome racism and sexism. I learned how computer programming works and about the cloud, too. I really enjoyed learning about how computers think and how things are stored in the cloud.” – 8th Grade IGNITE Student
“Today’s event inspired me to continue to work hard in STEM classes. I learned about how many jobs are out there for STEM. My favorite thing I learned was more about the cloud. I also learned about software and saw a machine.” – 8th Grade IGNITE Student
“Hearing about the panelists and staff members’ experiences gave me confidence in knowing that sometimes we don’t know what we want to do and that’s okay. I also got ideas on how to pursue careers in STEM. Learning about different ways to gain confidence and get better at presenting. I also liked learning about the panelists’ experiences when pursuing their careers in STEM.” – 7th Grade IGNITE Student
About Oracle Cloud Infrastructure:
Oracle is a company that’s innovating technology solutions to global challenges that affect billions of lives. Oracle champions diversity and inclusion in everything they do and thrives on rich experiences and perspectives from everyone.
About IGNITE Program Field Trip Events:
IGNITE Field Trips offer a memorable, behind-the-scenes look at STEM in action and the wide range of career opportunities at the host company. Company employees interact directly with the students through an office tour, hands-on STEM activities, and IGNITE Panel and Q&A discussion.
About IGNITE Worldwide:
IGNITE Worldwide is a 501(c)3 nonprofit STEM education organization that aims to change gender and racial equity in STEM permanently and systematically. We work directly with teachers during the school day to provide programming that promotes gender equity and representation in STEM academics and careers. Through our award-winning program, IGNITE provides engaging, hands-on events that connect students with STEM professionals from industry leaders from around the world. Learn more at www.igniteworldwide.org.
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