After the final school bell rang last June, many of Germantown Academy’s students were eager to ditch their desks in favor of soaking in summer’s rays. However, Gwen Trainer ‘27 wasted little time before returning to the classroom. From June 21 to June 26, Trainer attended Bucknell University’s Engineering Camp, where she was introduced to a variety of engineering disciplines.
“I would recommend it to students who are wanting to explore engineering as a subject and see how many [subjects] there are, and just [who are] very curious about what engineering is,” Trainer said.
Trainer first became interested in engineering because it aligns well with her skill set, and both her parents are engineers. After receiving emails advertising the program, Trainer decided to attend the camp to see whether engineering is a field she wants to continue to pursue. Students who have completed grades seven through 11 were welcome to apply.
“[The camp] is helpful for me to figure out what type of engineering I want to do for my college major, and also just in general, it’s helpful for me to figure out if I do want to do engineering in my future,” Trainer said. “So I think summer camps like that are really important for figuring out and just experimenting on what you want to do in college.”
Trainer had four classes a day while living in one of Bucknell’s first-year residence halls. Classes consisted of lectures, demonstrations, and laboratory experiences. The focus of each period ranged from satellites to Rube Goldberg machines to pharmaceuticals.
Trainer also had some free time there to take a break from learning, interact with friends and enjoy Bucknell’s campus.
“We mostly socialized. We played card games. We explored the campus,” Trainer said. “It helps you really visualize what it’s like living on a college campus, and it helps me a lot for college tours because it’s easier to visualize myself going there.”
While fulfilling her expectations outside of the classroom, the camp also met Trainer’s goal of expanding her knowledge of different engineering disciplines. Across the array of fields she was exposed to, biomedical engineering was her favorite.
“I didn’t realize how many different types of engineering there were, and just how many different ways you could go, and how different each one is,” Trainer said. “Most people just view it as a broad engineering subject, but there’s a lot more to it.”
At the conclusion of the weeklong program, Trainer left Bucknell University’s campus more knowledgeable than when she first arrived. Trainer returns to GA this fall, where she will bring her newfound experience to Ms. Diane Goldstein’s Honors Engineering course. There, she will have the opportunity to continue exploring her interests and hone her expertise.