The third installment of the AASEP STEM Workshop series brought together students for a dynamic day focused on leadership, teamwork, and engineering ingenuity. Kicking off with breakfast, the morning featured Mr. Rick Charles, whose engaging presentation on Leadership and Management set the tone. He introduced an “assessment survey” that had students diving into their personality traits within the first 20 minutes, sparking self-reflection on how these qualities shape their approach to teamwork. The session transitioned into a lively group discussion, where students were grouped by personality type to explore associated attributes—igniting conversations that deepened their understanding of themselves and their peers. 

After a productive morning, lunchtime doubled as a chance to snap remaining headshots for the students’ professional trading cards. Then, from 1:00 to 3:00, Mr. Pat Gsellman took the reins for the engineering challenge: Building a Wastewater Plant. Students embraced the hands-on task with fervor, blending problem-solving and creativity to craft innovative designs. The afternoon wrapped with a review of each team’s wastewater plant, assessing water purity and functionality, before crowning a winning group. 

The workshop ran like clockwork, with no downtime and a palpable buzz of curiosity driving quality questions from the students. Key successes included their enthusiasm for the engineering challenge and the strengthened team dynamics fostered by personality-based discussions. AASEP STEM Workshop #3 was a triumph, leaving us eager to see how these skills evolve in the next session.