What happens when students building the future meet someone who helps them see where it can take them? As part of our sponsorship of FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC) Team 1719, ABET recently connected the high school robotics team with one of our own: Tom Singer, an area delegate with the ABET Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission. Singer met virtually with students earlier this year to share insights on engineering pathways and planning for a future in STEM.
Team 1719, known as The Umbrella Corporation, is based at the Park School of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Each January, the team kicks off a fast-paced, six-week build season to design, construct and program a robot for competition. This year, their innovative approach earned them the Creativity Award at the Chesapeake District event.
Singer, a longtime educator of high school and college students, was quick to accept the invitation to speak with the team prior to the competition. “As a teacher at heart, it’s always good to help other students out,” he emphasized. “Connecting with them and understanding where their direction is … that kind of motivated me.”
During his presentation, Singer discussed the two primary paths into engineering — science-based and technology-based — and highlighted support available to students in Maryland, including tuition assistance and career exploration resources. He focused on advising students about career path opportunities to ensure they know their options when it came time to choose a field. Students engaged by asking Singer questions and interacting.
Singer began the presentation by asking the students about their robot and the competition to learn more about their perspective. “Finding the commonality of what’s happening within their world and relating it to the engineering world and having them get some understandings of different aspects of how engineering works is important for the high school student to see, ‘Hey, there’s a reason,’” he explained. “It’s not just about design, it’s not about building, there is a reason why we go through the steps, there is a reason we follow a process.”
Through our sponsorship of Team 1719, ABET helped create meaningful opportunities for students to learn through experience. Pairing funding with mentorship, the partnership highlighted the value of early exposure to real-world problem solving, thoughtful guidance, and the kinds of conversations that inspire long-term goals. Whether students pursue engineering or another path in higher education, moments like these help them see what’s possible and understand how to get there.