Wilson STEM Academy Students Attend Corning Choices Program | Women in STEM | Corning

Maya Norvel
Published: May 23, 2024

In March 2024, 50 bright young ladies of Wilson STEM Academy learned about career opportunities in the innovative field of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) during Corning’s annual Choices event in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Choices program, first established in Corning, New York in 1992, is designed to bolster young girls’ confidence, provide educational enrichment, and showcase the varying career opportunities in STEM and at Corning Incorporated.

Students’ expressions filled with shock and surprise as they were introduced to Corning’s long-standing history and key innovations spanning over 170 years. Not only did students learn about Corning’s key role in some of their most prized technologies including the bulb-shaped glass encasement for Thomas Edison's incandescent lamp, low-loss fiber, and Corning® Gorilla® Glass for smart phones, but they also learned about Corning’s more recent contributions to society with the mass production of Covid-19 glass vials.

Throughout the day, the students participated in a variety of hands-on educational sessions, each offering unique insights into different professional fields. Starting with a medical informational session with Tyisha Terry from UNC Charlotte, and Dr. Kia Swan-Moore, Corning’s Associate Chief Medical Officer. The pair provided valuable insights into medical and healthcare career opportunities. This was followed by an engineering session where Gaby Medellin, Human Resources Director, and Naila Howell, Facilities Engineer, guided students through a challenging engineering exercise where students constructed a sturdy structure using only twelve playing cards and a spool of tape. The competitive fun-filled activity ended with a triumphant group supporting a 17-pound weight with their structure, showcasing their creativity and ingenuity.

In the second half of the day, students spoke with Corning employees about their career journeys over lunch. This was then followed by a session with Stephanie Mangini, Corning Communications Director, who taught the significance of communication in our day-to-day lives and why communication professionals are invaluable to any business organization.

Following that, Brian Tebin, IT Director, Emerging Architecture; Rachel Menard, Manager, Talent Management Technologies Strategy; and Alison Landry, ITRDP – Senior Analyst; led the students in a hands-on augmented and virtual reality session while explaining how Corning uses the technology within a wide range of applications including virtual tours and troubleshooting within manufacturing settings.

The women in trades session introduced students to the wide range of opportunities within the trades while addressing misconceptions about pay and education requirements. Ashley Massey, Systems Design Engineer; Katelyn Keckler, Field Engineer; Augusta Smith, Trade Show Specialist; and Elizabeth Lentz, Program Manager, Fiber IQ; shared their education backgrounds and career journeys reminding students that career paths may lead you in exciting, unexpected directions.

Students concluded the day with a conversational woman in STEM panel discussion about the importance of representation in STEM. The panel featured Corning women of various sectors and backgrounds including manufacturing, human resources, and product development. Panelists included Jennifer Aranzolo-Castro, Controls Technician, Karina De La Rosa, Product Engineer Manager, Aisha Blanchard, Plant Engineering Manager, and Felicia Murrill, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Program Manager.

Thanks to the support of the program leaders and volunteer team the event was a huge success. By the end of the day, most of the Wilson STEM Students shared they could see themselves working at Corning in the future. Through our community engagement programs, we’ll continue to connect with and invest in these students hoping that one day they will share their career journey to Corning with the next generation of Choices students.

For more information on Corning’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, please visit here.