Follow Jaime Linkedin
Email Jaime Email
Education
Aug 25, 2021

FTCC’s Associate Degree Engineering Program: Find Your Way Forward with a Rewarding STEM Career

Sponsored Content provided by Jaime Villamil - FTCC Engineering Instructor, Fayetteville Technical Community College

The world has changed dramatically over the past year. We have faced unprecedented challenges that affected every single aspect of life. We have adapted, overcome, and improvised on a daily basis in order to cope with the new normal of life.  From wearing masks in public and keeping a safe distance to complete isolation, people have made major adjustments to their lives in order to cope with the pandemic. And, sadly, for many, the situation created by the pandemic has ultimately led to a desperate struggle for survival.

 

Fortunately, we live in an era of technology. We are able to do things now that were impossible for past generations. We can telework, order food online, Skype, Facetime and teleconference from our homes or even from the palms of our hands. Even during times of isolation, we are able to stay virtually connected and be productive. Throughout the pandemic, a good number of people were able to continue working and feed themselves, thanks to the advances of the last century and especially the last few decades. We now take things such as cars, computers, smartphones and the internet for granted, but these items have made coping with the pandemic a completely different experience when compared to the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918.

 

We still face challenges, however, and it doesn’t look like things are going to go back to what we remember as normal for a while.  To face these challenges, we are going to need fresh new minds to invent new ways of doing things. We now have a generation of young people who grew up in a world of technology and have an innate understanding of how to live in a cyber-connected world. 

 

Unfortunately, technology can be a two-edged sword, and with so many distractions, many are falling short of their true potential. The US education system has been pushing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and careers for years because of the shortage of people in these degree fields. Now that we are faced with new challenges stemming from the pandemic, we need STEM-educated individuals now even more than ever. Who will research new cures, invent new ways to work and communicate, or design the next generation of ventilators? An old adage (late 1800s) states, “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” But these words are far from the truth.  Think of everything that has been invented since the late 1800s! Had this been true back then, we would still be riding horses for primary transportation and reading by candlelight! Without the technological advances of the last century, our current crisis would have been much more difficult to navigate.

 

So, here’s a call for individuals to accept the challenge to become the next generation of scientists, inventors, and engineers! You may be the one who invents something new that positively changes our world.  

 

FTCC’s Associate Degree Engineering program can help you begin this exciting journey!  Fall 8-week classes begin October 14.  Apply for Fall classes today and allow FTCC to help you find your way forward!  

Join The Discussion

Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
cape-fear-valley-health michelle-keasling headshott

Hearts Stay Healthy through Cape Fear Valley’s Cardiac Rehab Program

Michelle Keasling - Service Line Director for Cardiac Services, Cape Fear Valley Health
fayetteville-state-university trung-v-tran-phd headshott

FSU Empowers Youth with STEM Skills Thanks to NASA Grant

Trung V. Tran, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor of Geospatial Science in the Department of Intelligence Studies, Geospatial Science, Political Science and History, Fayetteville State University
north-carolina-military-business-center diane-cherry headshott

Camp Lejeune and Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment

Diane Cherry , North Carolina Military Business Center

In The Current Issue

Publisher's Note: What a magnificent month of March!

What an impactful month March is! We get to honor the women in our lives throughout the month of March, and more specifically on March 8 for International Women’s Day. We also get to celebrate the beginning of new life in spring which coincidentally


Finding learning solutions: Fayetteville learning expert Kathryn Cox shares her dedication to education serving as the new VP of learning solutions

It is a season of growth for Linchpin Solutions, Inc. as they welcome in their new Vice President of Learning Solutions, Kathryn Cox. Cox has been developing training and education programs for customers for over 30 years, building up her impressive


Optimal Bio for optimal health: Cary based optimal bio is continuing to grow and expand practice locations under the leadership of “She.E.O.” Tylar Brannon

Based in Cary, NC, Optimal Bio currently has four established locationsacross North Carolina, including one in Southern Pines, NC. PHOTOS TAKEN BY SARAH MORREL PHOTOGRAPHYTylar Brannon, the chief executive officer of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement