PEER Represents CVM at Local Chamber of Commerce Career Fair

Story by Ramlah Kahn and Jacob Swindell, with Dr. Larry Johnson

Suman Vadlamani talks to eighth graders
Suman Vadlamani, second-year BIMS student, talks to eighth graders about the amazing opportunities college brings and how to prepare to achieve those goals while in high school.

The Bryan/College Station Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Youth to Career Fair on Sept. 17, during which more than 2,000 eight graders had the opportunity to visit multiple booths representing a variety of fields.

The goal was to inspire regional middle schoolers to start thinking about career paths and give them the tools necessary to start their journey toward their goals.

Veterinary and undergraduate students in the PEER program represented the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM) to advocate STEM activities and inform attendees about potential career opportunities students can pursue with a degree from the CVM.

PEER fellows brought to the conference a diversity of interests in STEM and its careers, served as veterinary and undergraduate students role models, and provided PEER handouts that helped prepare attendees for college and professional school.

The PEER fellows also gave a brief overview on what life was like as a CVM undergraduate student, provided an understanding of what a career in science is like, and educated the middle schoolers on how to fulfill those careers.

Dr. Larry Johnson selfie with 8th graders

“The eighth graders were very excited to be able to ask questions about college from near-peer role models,” said PEER fellows Ramlah Kahn and Jacob Swindell. “Having career fairs can help these students realize that attending college is achievable for everyone.”

Over the course of the Youth to Career Fair, CVM professor and PEER director Larry Johnson and the PEER fellows gave out 250 veterinary school posters and approximately 400 “College Knowledge” pamphlets on preparation for attending college. PEER also provided access to STEM lesson plans for 30 student-teachers and teachers accompanying the young students.

Johnson noted that interacting with student teachers was rewarding, and the interactions with eighth graders were very promising.

Ramlah Khan and Jacob Swindell talking at career fair
Ramlah Khan and Jacob Swindell, third-year BIMS students, talk with career fair attendees.

The PEER fellows also enjoyed interacting with the middle school students at the career fair, gaining experience in public speaking, meeting new people, being a near-peer role model, and improving their convictions/roles as leaders in STEM, appreciating the pipeline to higher education, and how one can contribute in the future.

“It was a really great experience getting to interact with the kids and getting them interested in going to college. Everyone had such a great attitude toward what we had to say about what college is like and, more specifically, what being a STEM major is all about,” said PEER fellow Suman Vadlamani.

The PEER program is supported by the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) grant program, presented through the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

For more information on PEER, visit peer.tamu.edu, and for more information on the SEPA program, visit https://nihsepa.org.


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