It’s no secret that Bury engineers and designers love to be involved. We’re members of associations, we sit on boards and committees, and we volunteer our time to worthy causes. Above all, we love encouraging the next generation to pursue careers in math and science.
During the month of February, two Bury offices sent volunteers to be a part of their local MATHCOUNTS competitions. MATHCOUNTS is led by the National Society of Professional Engineers at the local and state levels, and the program “inspires excellence, confidence and curiosity in U.S. middle school students through fun and challenging math programs.”
Now in its 29th year, MATHCOUNTS takes pride in being “one of the country’s largest and most successful education partnerships involving volunteers, educators, industry sponsors and students.” Their competition program provides opportunities for students to strengthen critical thinking skills as they work diligently to solve complex math problems in creative ways.
Angela Matthews, P.E.
Angela Matthews, P.E., a Saenz+Bury engineer in Dallas, became involved with Texas Society of Professional Engineers, (TSPE), and the chapter president asked her to coordinate the event in Richardson, Texas. “My favorite part was the atmosphere during the awards ceremony for top teams and individuals. It was electrifying with loud ‘drum rolls’ and ecstatic cheers from 300+ kids and adults.”
Stephen Johnson, P.E.
Stephen Johnson, P.E., serves as Vice President for the Travis Chapter of TSPE in Austin. He participated in similar programs when he was in school, so he loved getting to see the MATHCOUNTS competition from a different point of view. “I saw a reflection of myself at that age,” Stephen said. “Some of these kids were so incredibly gifted that it really made it fun to try and play along with them during the final round.”
Johnson went on to say, “Volunteering for events like this is great because it allows us to see engineering from a perspective that we may have since forgotten.”
Mary Oates, E.I.T.
Mary Oates, E.I.T, was another Bury volunteer at the Austin event. “I’ve read articles and heard different speakers talk about how the U.S. is falling behind in math and science. We need more students to pursue careers in engineering and other technical and scientific fields.”
To get an idea of what these competitions are like, check out this video from last year’s national competition.
Click to view video below.
The 2012 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition will be held May 11 in Orlando, Florida.
Visit MATHCOUNTS on Facebook and Twitter!
Tags: Angela Matthews, Mary Oates, MATHCOUNTS, National Society of Professional Engineers, Stephen Johnson, Texas Society of Professional Engineers
