New Students

Monday, July 22, 2019, can only mean one thing, new students! Today was the start of a new session for the NSED Academy STEM Camp. Just like the first session, they started the day off by introducing themselves and getting right into the lesson for the day. The students also got the chance to meet their new “BFF,” the plant. After the previous group of students planted sunflower seeds with Mr. Norris, the new students got a chance to see the results of their labor. The students will take care of the plant for the next two weeks to continue the sunflowers growth.

The new students’ first task of the day was to dismantle computers. They were given screwdrivers, an antistatic wrist strap, and a magnet to use in order to dismantle the computers. After taking the computers apart, two interns, Danny Ballout and Tavieo Miles, began to explain the parts of the computers and allowed the students to research what each part does. After lunch, the students went back to their computers to reassemble them. After learning about the different parts of the computers, they used their new found knowledge to successfully rebuild the computers. All of the students successfully assembled and tested their computers, all on the first day of the STEM Camp.

To wrap up the first day of session two, the students were able to learn more about Virginia Union University, the institution they will be visiting for the next two weeks. The students also learned how important education is and some keywords that can help them along their journeys in life. Some of the keywords were development, workforce, ethic, and work ethic. Just like the last session, they also gained knowledge about the Richmond 34, who were Virginia Union University students that were involved in a nonviolent sit-in at a local department store in downtown Richmond. From my perspective, this new group of students are very quiet, but they are focused and they have a strong desire to learn more about the endless possibilities that the STEM field has to offer.

Written and Photographed by Onnia Thomas

Majoring in Computer Information Systems, Onnia is a STEM Camp 2019 intern and rising senior at Virginia Union University.