Mission Possible: P&G employees mentor Cape jr. high students

Cape Girardeau Central Junior High students chose to accept the challenge of Mission Possible.

Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students meet with Procter & Gamble (P&G) employees about seven times a school year to be part of Mission Possible, an afterschool mentoring program focusing on engineering activities to promote STEM education.

"[Mission Possible] exposes [students] to things they haven't thought about. There are a lot of these kids who don't know what engineering is, so this lets them see that it's an opportunity they might have for their future," faculty adviser Diana Valleroy said.

Valleroy has been advising the program for over a decade and even had her own children participate. She said she has seen lots of Mission Possible students go on to pursue engineering or medical careers, and, overall, it gives students a more informed decision on their career options.

During their most recent meeting Thursday, P&G employees informed students about pneumatics, engineering that makes use of gas, such as air. To demonstrate it, students used a syringe and tube system to create an equalizing air-pressure system that would operate a lift made of classroom materials, such as popsicle sticks, tape, rubber bands and chenille stems.

Packaging engineer Rachel Reifsteck, right, helps Tyton Hale, 12, adjust his group's equalizing air pressure system on their group project Thursday at Central Junior High School in Cape Girardeau.Sarah Yenesel

Students were free to design their system however they wanted. Employees and Valleroy made their way around the room to help test systems and fix structural issues.

"For myself, this program means a lot. When I was in middle school, I didn't know what I wanted to be, and I had similar engineers from my hometown come and meet with me on a monthly basis, and that inspired me," process engineer and Mission Possible team coordinator Christine Lin said. "I am hoping to inspire kids to also go into engineering. I have learned that kids are so creative and sometimes even better engineers than me."

To become part of the program, students can apply in fifth grade. Those who are part of the program for all three years and want to pursue engineering in higher education are also eligible for a scholarship from P&G, according to Valleroy.

Lincoln Keirsey, 14, has been part of the program since sixth grade and wants to major in engineering to potentially work in aerospace engineering.

"It's one of the best, like, afterschool programs that I have ever been in because it involves engineering and problem solving techniques that have to be used," Keirsey said.

Packaging engineer Rachel Reifsteck, right, observes as Noah Caldwell, 13, tests the equalizing air pressure system on their group project at Central Junior High School in Cape Girardeau on Thursday.Sarah Yenesel