One of my favorite parts about teaching is making real-world connections. I feel so blessed to be a part of such an amazing community full of just that: connections. Throughout last school year, I partnered with the Darlington Connects program to provide opportunities for students in my Introduction to Computing to network and learn from alumni in the world of technology and computational thinking. I hope by sharing these experiences it will encourage others to connect with students in the classroom.
Our first guest speaker was Cam Collins (’12), who works for Amazon Web Services (AWS). He just happened to be in town from L.A. and was able to come to speak in person. Cam was able to share with our students what his job entails as well as how he got to where he is now. One of the major takeaways from his presentation was the importance of connections. He encouraged the students to build a network and make connections now and as alumni when they graduate. He said the connections he made at Darlington have led him to where he is currently.
The next speaker, Alex Ezell (’94, LD ’20), met with the class virtually. Alex primarily does web application development. He has developed two different companies and is fluent in multiple programming languages. He is currently working with Elixer, helping keep healthcare private information protected. We loved hearing about his work with Wikipedia, where he managed a group of engineers, and how it took him all over the world. It was so interesting to hear about how his programming has helped save lives and find child predators. After graduating from Darlington, he got an English and Art History degree. It was really interesting to the students to find out how his path changed and how you can have certain plans, but then develop a new passion that leads you in a completely different direction. His parting advice to the students was to decide on something they want to solve or create in their life and do it/build it/create it. We were definitely inspired!
We also enjoyed hearing from Jack Eady (’19), who recently graduated from Georgia Tech and started his master's degree. It was a great opportunity for students to hear from a young alum about his college and internship experiences.
What an amazing opportunity these speakers have been for not just our students, but for me as well. I really appreciate them each taking time to speak with us and share their story. If you are interested in connecting with students in the classroom, we would love to have you!
Special Opportunity: Georgia STEM Day is coming up on Nov. 8! Ndiana Akpan’s Senior Ventures project, Gems in STEM, involves providing young students in our community STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) projects. We are looking for presenters in the area of STEM to speak to our students about their careers, passions, and what helped them along the way. Please email connect@darlingtonschool.org if you are interested in participating.
Are you a member of the Darlington Community with an interesting career or community involvement? Please email connect@darlingtonschool.org if you are interested in connecting in the classroom.
