Padua Students Encouraged to Study Engineering

New to the 2010-2011 Curriculum Guide is Padua Academy’s Introduction to Engineering course.  In this course, students will be introduced to different engineering disciplines.  Through project-based activities, students will explore how engineers apply mathematics, communication skills, team work, and creativity to problem solving.

Aware that Padua is introducing young women to the male-dominated field of Engineering, Dover firm CABE Associates, Inc. invited Padua to attend the 2010 Engineers Week dinner and award ceremony on February 18 at the DuPont Country Club. Also present for the evening’s festivities were Senator Thomas Carper, Senator Ted Kaufman, and Delaware’s Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn.  Senator Kaufman, the only engineer in the United States Senate, gave a thought-provoking speech in which he discussed the importance of encouraging students to pursue engineering as the best way to make a difference in the world.  “Engineers have always been the world’s problem solvers,” he said. “We just need to make students aware of that.”  Senator Kaufman also stressed the importance of encouraging young women to study engineering: “While women earn 58 percent of all bachelor’s degrees, they constitute only 18.5 percent of bachelor’s degrees awarded in engineering. We can, and must, do better.”

Part of the evening was dedicated to recognizing high school seniors with engineering scholarships for college.  The Society of Women Engineers awarded scholarships to five female students, and six young women were awarded with scholarships from other engineering organizations.  “It was incredibly encouraging to see so many female students honored with engineering scholarships for college,” said Jennifer Chappius ’11.  Monica Du ‘11 agreed: “It was great of CABE to invite us as guests this year. I hope next year I’ll be here again to receive a scholarship of my own.”