February 27, 2025

CHANDLER, ARIZONA — What does a family physician, a mechanical engineer, a trauma nurse and a college student all have in common? They are STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) industry leaders and professionals who recently visited Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) junior high classrooms. 

In CUSD’s “I Am the Face of Science” lessons, career experts visit eighth graders to share their stories, answer questions, and offer advice to students. Depending on the number of volunteers and schedules, students rotate classes up to three times to meet new guests. 

“Face of Science” originally started at Bogle Junior High School after science teachers in the 2023-2024 school year participated in district professional development class. The teachers took the idea to the CUSD Curriculum & Instruction Department and together they built a program in partnership with many organizations in the community. This school year (2024-2025) three additional schools have hosted “Face of Science” events: Andersen, Santan, and Willis Junior High Schools. 

“In CUSD, we have engaged in dialogue about the importance of providing mirrors, windows and sliding doors as a teaching practice to meet the varied learning needs of our students,” said Dr. Adama Sallu, CUSD Director of Educational Access and Strategic Partnerships. “Inviting STEM professionals from different backgrounds to present their personal and professional stories allows every student to see what is possible for their future.” 

When Dr. Jessica Blanco, a family practice doctor, visited Andersen Junior High, she encouraged students to be competitive with good grades, internships, and volunteer opportunities. One student asked her, “who inspired you to be a doctor?” 

Dr. Blanco told a story about growing up in the Midwest and relying on two aunts who were nurses. They would help Dr. Blanco and her family feel better through numerous ailments and concerns. She admired their wealth of knowledge and thought, “instead of being a nurse, why not be a doctor?” 

“All the doctors didn’t look like me. They weren't my same skin color. And they really weren’t women. I never met a female doctor when I was a little girl. Not until I was probably 18 or 20 years old,” Dr. Blanco said. 

In a different class period, students felt inspired to approach Dr. Blanco to ask additional questions. Positive role models help students see themselves in similar future careers. 

Advice to Offer 

As an Arizona State University student studying Architecure and Space, Yasmine Silva advised students to get involved in things that interest them. For example, she joined the Architecture. Construction. Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program. 

“Giving yourself the opportunity to explore those interests and what they have is a good way to figure out what you want to do,” Silva said. 

Elona Ogbaudu, a Computer Science student at Arizona State University, also suggested students explore different career paths after initially studying communications then switching majors and joining an internship with Apple where she worked on state ID integration with the Apple Wallet app. “One thing you really need to do is ask ‘what really matters to me,’ because once you answer that question you can go to the next stage, which is doing your research,” Ogbaudu said. 

No matter what students were interested in, Michael Watson, Chief Operating Officer at GenTech, reminded them that they may end up studying multiple facets of a single STEM field. Watson brought a robot to demonstrate the various skills he learned to build and program the bot. “They’re all interconnected. When it comes to knowing, like, I.T. and cybersecurity. Then you have to know the software part of it, but then also the hardware and how all those components interact. And then getting into robotics and 3D modeling,” Watson said. 

Kevin Padilla, Aerospace Engineer from Northrup Gruman, recalled looking back on his life in high school and wishing he could thank two teachers who believed in him as a student. He didn’t take steps to seriously consider his career until educators urged him to apply for scholarships and discover his passions. “I didn’t take the time to recognize my teachers and coaches that really helped me along the way ... I realize they’re going out of their way to help me succeed. So be sure to give thanks. It goes a long way,” Padilla said. 

Dr. Brandon Marin, a chemical engineer at Intel, shared with students that after high school and during college he hit what he called rock bottom. “Just because you mess up or make mistakes (big or small), your life is not over; you can still succeed,” Dr. Marin said. 

Ronald Alexander, a CUSD graduate, is now a nurse in the Telemetry Unit of a local hospital. “The nurses who took care of my grandmother in hospice inspired me to become a nurse,” said Ronald. “Nursing school is hard, harder than high school, but it was very worthwhile, and I am proud to help those in need.” 

In the 2025-2026 school year, the “Face of Science” events will expand to Payne Junior High School and the brand-new Casteel Junior High School. 

Interested in more opportunities from CUSD? Visit cusd80.com/enroll to learn more.