By Aurora Phillips, junior high reporter

 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) class seems to really be a big hit among the junior high students. Introduced to seventh grade students at the start of last year, STEM has progressed even further since then.

The school now offers an elective STEM class for eighth grade Algebra 1 students. Lego building, boats, and origami are projects the eighth grade has worked on. The students really seem to enjoy it. “I think it’s a good learning experience, and the projects are fun!” said Kaylee Mulligan. “I learned to love STEM because I wasn’t good with my hands when I started in seventh grade, and I figured it would be a challenge, but it was worth a try,”  said Ashley Wenzel.

The seventh graders also have a STEM class as a rotation. Students get to use their creativity to build race cars and paddle boats. These projects allow students to use limited materials and their imaginations to create something amazing. The most beloved project by the seventh grade students were the paddle boats. “I think I liked the paddle boats because I enjoyed using the foam cutters,” said Grace Diley. “I enjoyed making the boat and using the cool tools,” said Jaden Reagle.

From a student’s perspective, it seems STEM can really help open students’ minds to other career choices. They can work with computers, aerospace engineering, and so much more. This class will prove to be very beneficial to its students’ decisions as they search for a successful career in the future.