Lincoln High School STEM Career Panel a Hit with Splitter Nation!

The EMU STEM Ed Institute, in partnership with Lincoln High School and OneGoal, hosted a STEM Career Panel on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the Lincoln Performing Arts Center with over 700 high school students in attendance. The STEM Career Panel provided a unique opportunity for students to learn about successful career pathways in the STEM fields and skilled trades.

The STEM Career Panel featured Dr. Paul T. Fanson, Senior Manager in the Future Value Creation group of the Advanced Product Planning Office of the Toyota Motor North America Research and Development; Emma Bailey, a Kinesiology PhD student at the University of Michigan focusing on exercise science and cancer research; Drew Denton, full-time Service Technician at Orbitform, a company that builds and supports machines used in manufacturing; and Zachary Krauss, Assistant Director of the EMU STEM Ed Institute. The panel was moderated by Dr. Michael Allen, Post Secondary Leadership Coach, OneGoal.

Each of the panelists first shared their educational backgrounds and provided important career advice for the high schoolers in attendance. Dr. Fanson shared that he developed a passion forchemistry early, which led him to pursue a PhD in chemical engineering. He emphasized to the students that showing up and being on time is an important life skill. Ms. Bailey shared advice she received from her mother as a young student. “Leave as many doors open as you can,” she said. Mr. Denton shared with the students that he first pursued a career in music but soon realized he needed a career change. He shared that trade school is a great option for a career. Mr. Denton participated in Washtenaw Community College’s FAME (Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education) Program, which provided hands-on technical training in the skilled trades. Mr. Krauss shared with the students that he combined his passions for meteorology, entrepreneurship, and economics for his career pathway in STEM and science communication.

The Q&A session with the Lincoln High School students and panelists was an engaging highlight of the STEM Career Panel. The students asked many questions about careers in STEM and skilled trades. How can you combine a career in business and biology? How can you receive scholarships? Were there specific courses in high school that helped you in your career? There was consensus among the panelists that you can pursue more than one opportunity in the fields but planning and focus is critical for success.