Mwaniki M. - Thank you for the STEM Program

Being invited to the Naval Academy to learn in the mini-STEM Program was an honor that I will always be grateful for. I enjoyed being able to visit such a beautiful campus and being able to experience part of life at the Naval Academy. The demonstrations that I attended there were very engaging, which gave me more motivation to learn about.

            I can honestly say that I learned something new in all of the demonstrations I went to. I was pleased to learn about things that have always intrigued me, such as naval architecture and biometrics. I found the lecture on biometrics and security systems easy to learn because of the examples that were given. These examples helped me understand more about voice, face, and eye recognition. I enjoyed the diffraction of light demonstration because I saw how the light spectrum can be found anywhere, even in everyday gases around us. The naval architecture was a fun workshop that tested our brains in estimation on weight and structure. The 3D seminar was interesting because this was the first time I ever made my own simulation, and I now understand the complexity of it.

            I enjoyed being on the YP boat because I have always wondered what those types of boats were like. Not only did I get to take a tour of the boat, I got to drive it too. This was an exciting thing for me because it was the first time I ever drove a vehicle before and getting to drive the boat seems easier than driving a car. On the tour of the Naval Academy campus, I was amazed at the history of the academy and the historic reputation of it. Walking through the halls and listening to the stories truly proves that the Naval Academy has harbored some of America’s finest leaders and warriors.

            On Friday night, I was given the privilege of going to a college football game. Unfortunately, I was separated from my midshipmen and did not know where he went. Luckily, I ran into a friend of mine, midshipmen Becca G. Becca came to St. Benedict’s earlier this year as a visitor, and she was a member of my current events class. That night at the game, Becca helped me find the school bus so I could get my stuff, and helped me find my room and host midshipmen. Had it not been for Becca I don’t know what would have happened that night. Not only has Becca helped me that night, but she has helped me and other students countless times at my school whenever we had to make presentations for current events class. I believe that Becca is a true model student for the Naval Academy, who has true love and honor for her country. She is a selfless and intelligent woman who is capable of doing great things in the future. I would be very pleased to see her come back to St. Benedict’s sometime this year, because I believe she can help inspire many other students and bring out the leadership abilities in them.

            Overall, I am thankful to have been able to travel to the Naval Academy, even though it was only for a short time. I can say that I couldn’t have asked for a better experience at the Naval Academy. I enjoyed every moment of my visit and I could not have asked for a better experience. I can honestly say that the Naval Academy is a good life experience for many who go there and the students who graduate from there have a bright future ahead of them.