Although DreamWakers flashchats all happen virtually, connecting relatable career professionals with classrooms across the country, last week we were lucky enough to stop by a local DC high school to watch a flashchat in action. Last Friday at McKinley Technology High School, #DreamEducator Kathryn Breisch hosted her third flashchat of the week and warmly welcomed our Program Associate, Celete Kato, to experience the classroom environment firsthand and talk with students about their takeaways after the flashchat.
Ms. Breisch’s 11th grade biotechnology class was matched with speaker Bilen Akuzum, a researcher and PhD student at Drexel University, to talk about his work in desalination, energy storage, materials science, and the applicability of their biotechnology curriculum to real life jobs. Mr. Akuzum gave the students a sneak peek of his new grant proposal video outlining his recent work and revealed that he recently founded a business with a former colleague from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Their new company aims to explore existing water desalination technology and create sustainable alternatives. Mr. Akuzum also shared his inspiring personal story as a first-generation college student from Turkey. Check out the behind the scenes look at our visit on Instagram!
As DreamWakers settles into our new home in Washington DC, we are looking forward to fostering relationships with educators and schools in our community! Interested in bringing the real world to your classroom? Sign up here or reach out to us at [email protected]!
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more exciting DreamWakers activities in Washington, DC. On December 5, we will be joined by group of students from Calvin Coolidge High School on a tour of the White House! Through our partnership with the White House Historical Association (WHHA), students will have the unique privilege of experiencing the Executive Mansion decorated for the holiday season and participating in WHHA’s podcast, The 1600 Sessions.
