White Sands Missile Range employees participated in the Feb. 27 third annual Plan My Future Career Fair event hosted by the Las Cruces Public Schools at the Field of Dreams in Las Cruces.
Students from all the LCPS middle and high schools and surrounding community schools participated in the event designed to give students an overview of all the career opportunities available to them in Dona Aña County.
Jessica Sosa, a WSMR Human Resources Specialist, was present at the event giving out information and talking to students.
“We are talking to students about the GEMS program, which is a great opportunity for both middle school and high school students.”
The Gain in the Education of Mathematics and Science program offers students a week of STEM-related hands-on modules, experiments, and tours on WSMR. It is a great opportunity for students interested in exploring STEM career fields and possible future career opportunities at WSMR.
Applications for the middle school program will be accepted through April 19, 2025, through the Army Education Outreach Program. Visit https://www.usaeop.com/program/wsmr-middle-school/
Representatives included employers who offer hands-on careers such as firefighting, police and technical careers that require four-year degrees to include New Mexico State University and other institutions of higher education.
“Our goal is for kids to see that there are great opportunities for high paying jobs in Doña Ana County and we can train you and you can stay here and have a really great career and never have to leave,” said Kathleen Gardner, Career Specialist and work-based learning teacher with LCPS who was responsible for organizing the event.
Ed Cruz, who does Recruitment and Outreach for WSMR, said part of his job is to support all the schools in the area by giving out information about careers at WSMR.
“Today we are letting students know what we do at White Sands. Many students don’t know what we do at WSMR or what opportunities we offer,” Cruz said. “We let them know that we are a major employer here in the southwest.”
WSMR also has a SMART Scholarship Program that is open to high school seniors and current employees. Visit smartscholarship.org for more information.
Drako Garcia, a student at Picacho Middle School who was at the event, said it was interesting to find out about all the opportunities available to students in the area. He said he also enjoyed a demonstration by employees with WSMR’s Optics Branch.
Christopher Medina, an Electronics Engineer with the Optics Branch at WSMR, said they were demonstrating some of the cameras they use out on the field to include a forward-looking infrared camera used for nighttime testing events and a high-speed camera.
He said students were very interested in the demonstrations.
Daniel Billingsley, with WSMR Optics Branch, said it is important to have events like this one.
“They are learning about science and mathematics in school, but they don’t necessarily know how they are applied in the real world,” he said. “WSMR has several fields where you can apply these principles directly, and we are explaining how those are applied in some of our demonstrations today.”
Lazae Dubois, a student with Mesilla Valley Learning Academia, said the event informed him about future careers. He said the information he received will help him reach his career goals.
Jordan Medina, Assistant Chief of Training for the WSMR Fire Department, and Alfonso Soto, Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention for the WSMR Fire Department, said they were on hand to educate students about what they do.
“We gave students a demonstration on some of the techniques we use to make an entrance into a facility during a fire or emergency,” Medina said. “We showed the kids how to use prying tools on an E-Force Forcible Entry Door which is required during a fire. We’ve had a very positive interest from students.”
Soto said they also showed students how to use a fire extinguisher and gave them information about careers opportunities with the fire department.
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