High school students learning from engineers

By: STACY BRANDT - Staff Writer
Internship program offers $10,000 scholarship | Thursday, February 7, 2008 10:02 PM PST ∞

VISTA ---- A construction company recently teamed up with Vista High School to give a few students real-life engineering experience.

Four 12th-grade students from the campus and one from San Marcos High School will work three hours each week this semester at FCI Constructors Inc. in San Marcos, learning how to use drafting software and design bridges, officials said.

At the end of the four-month internship, the company plans to award a $10,000 scholarship to the student or students who did the best job.

The group has only worked two days so far, but Zach Weber, a senior at Vista High, said he's already getting comfortable with MicroStation, the complex computer program the company uses for drafting.

Ana Cruz, another Vista student doing the internship, said she hopes to pursue a career in engineering. Working with professional engineers helps her stay motivated with that goal, she said.

"It helps me see where I'm trying to get to, and it keeps me focused," she said.

Students at Vista High can learn the basics of computer-aided drafting in several elective classes that the school offers. This is the first time they've been able to take the skills they learned in those classes and apply them in a real-world situation, said Barry Hamblin, who teaches the classes.

"It's really unique," he said of the opportunity. "There's no substitute for real-world experiences."

FCI started the internship program last year with four students from San Marcos High School. This year, they included Vista High School.

Part of the reason they picked Vista High is because it offers drafting and engineering classes that many schools don't, said Dana Smola, human resources manager for the company.

Company officials hope to continue expanding the program to include students from all over the area, Smola said.

The arrangement benefits the students because they get valuable work experience, and the company because it could help inspire future engineers, she said.

"There's going to be a shortage of potential employees, and so we thought, 'What a good opportunity to expose high school students to what we do here,' " she said. "As a business, we think helping our future is going to benefit all of us."

FCI, a subsidiary of Colorado-based Flatiron Construction Co., contracts with public agencies on projects ranging from light-rail work on the Sprinter to bridge and road work on area freeways.

The partnership meshes well with the statewide push to bolster career-centered education in high schools, Hamblin said.

"It fits really well, because what it demonstrates for students is that you need math and science to do these things," he said.

Contact staff writer Stacy Brandt at (760) 901-4009 or sbrandt@nctimes.com.

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