Hailey is a senior at Perry Hall High School where she is preparing for a future career as a mechanical engineer and industrial designer. She explored and expanded her passion for designing and building in her CTE design courses. She took her enthusiasm for engineering outside the classroom where she founded the first Society of Women Engineers (SWE) chapter in a Baltimore County High School. Her motivation to start a SWE chapter was driven by her desire to work on hands-on projects, as well as, a desire to help motivate more females to get involved in STEM. She was able to form the club, recruit members, and raise money to purchase materials to build their electric car and compete as the first ever all girl team in the Washington DC Electric Vehicle Grand Prix. Additionally, Hailey was successful in bringing together Baltimore and Howard County Public Schools and the Baltimore/Washington SWE Chapter to hold the first ever regional Rube-Goldberg Machine Contest. On numerous occasions, she has made presentations to the BCPS Project Lead the Way Program Advisory Council and Career & Technology Education community regarding her experiences, challenges, and motivations. Her outreach has served as catalyst for two additional Baltimore County schools to start their own female engineering clubs. 

In addition to her coursework and club involvement, Hailey was able to apply the skills she learned from CTE and other academic courses during two summer internships. She interned at ClearEdge IT Solutions where she learned how engineers work together to solve real-word problems as she worked with the computer engineers to design and build a Virtual-Reality machine. The following year, when she spent a summer working at NASA, she learned about prototyping, large scale project planning, and how design and engineering work hand-in-hand.

Why did you choose this CTE Program of Study?  

I have always wanted to be an inventor and this desire has lead me in the direction of engineering, specifically mechanical engineering. My goal is to become a mechanical engineer and industrial designer. While I work hard concentrating on mathematics and science courses to prepare me for college and my career, I’ve sought out CTE programs to help me gain hands-on experience designing, building, and testing some of the materials that I’ve studied.

How does your CTE Program fit in your future education and career plans? 

I enjoy the hands-on aspects of my CTE program and the way that I have been able to work on concrete examples as opposed to just reading about the way things work. I hope to continue with this type of learning as I seek out engineering programs that have strong project-based learning teaching methods. I feel that my involvement with CTE classes, as well as, afterschool activities has given me critical thinking and problem solving skills that will help me as I continue my education and start my career.  

What Academic subjects are important to your success in your CTE program? 

I found it invaluable to take every available math and physics class that I could. Learning the hard math and science behind design has helped me to have a better understanding of the projects I’ve worked on. Whether calculating forces acting on a bridge truss or determining the proper friction required to stop an electric car, understanding how the laws of physics impact different designs decisions helps me to ultimately reach the proper engineering solution.

The most exciting thing I have done with CTE was build and race our electric car. Working on this project, I learned many hands-on skills, worked with a team solving engineering problems, and was able to compete with my peers.  As build lead, I helped coordinate schedules and milestones with our mentor.  I also spent time presenting our project and our female engineering team’s accomplishments to multiple people and organizations including being interviewed for WJZ TV.  Our team learned a lot as we constructed the car and worked feverously on race day to qualify.  It was extremely satisfying to participate in the race with other teams from around the region.

Explain how it is possible to fit both your required high school courses and your CTE program into your schedule? 

I did not find it difficult to fit CTE courses in with the required high school classes. There is plenty of time to fit in everything if you plan. I was able to meet and exceed my general education requirements including taking five math courses and two physics courses while taking CTE and a number of art classes.  Occasionally, it is difficult to coordinate scheduling courses mixed in with advanced classes that are offered only on a limited basis, like AP courses.

I have been strongly supported by the CTE teachers at my school. They are always willing to work with me and other students if anyone needs support in or out of the classroom. Additionally, the involvement of our principal is extraordinary. When I reached out for support to help form the Society of Women Engineers Club at our school, he jumped in with both feet. He is always there supporting us and encouraging us to do more. He is a strong proponent of CTE and technology, and his enthusiasm can be felt throughout the department. 

The ability to work on a concentrated goal that provides the opportunity to really get hands-on experience with something you desire to learn about is awesome. It lets you explore career pathways before college, and those skills will help you gain a head start on other students who chose the same path.