Gene Haas Foundation Scholarships to Rocklin High School

Rocklin, Calif.- The Gene Haas Foundation provided five $2,000 Machining Technology Scholarships for Rocklin High School graduating seniors who plan to become engineers as a result of their experiences in the Engineering Support Technology lab that was built with support from the Sierra College STEM Collaborative.

Five Rocklin High School graduates will each benefit from $2,000 Machining Technology Scholarships from the Gene Haas Foundation to further their Advanced Manufacturing education. With support from the Sierra College Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Collaborative and other area businesses, Engineering Support Technology instructor Dan Frank has built a fully equipped lab with CNC machines, 3D printer, laser cutters and other industry standard equipment to provide hands-on experiences for future engineers and technicians.  The scholarships will be presented to the Engineering Support Technology students on Monday, June 2, 2014 at 6 PM at the Rocklin High School gym.

According to Carol Pepper-Kittredge, Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT) Director, Sierra College, who manages the Sierra College STEM Collaborative, these students have been inspired by their hands-on experiences to continue their technical education.  The Gene Haas Foundation provides scholarship funds to students entering technical training programs, especially machinist-based certificate and degree programs. “Rocklin High School has a wonderfully equipped lab where students can gain experience using equipment very similar to what they might encounter working in industry,” said Pepper-Kittredge.

“Engineering Support Technology instructor Dan Frank has also been very creative in arranging for students to video conference with NASA engineers, taking students on tours at local manufacturers, introducing Lean manufacturing methods and utilizing innovative teaching methods such as posting scan codes on equipment that lead students to online apps that explain set up and operating procedures.”

Dan Frank explained that the students selected for the Gene Haas Foundation scholarships are planning to continue their technical education in engineering. “The scholarship recipients are Sean Bowers, Paulo Buencamino, Alex Lonsdale, Samantha Martin and Ryan Seggerman,” said Frank. “I expect all of these students to become engineers and quickly rise to meet the challenges faced by our nation’s Advanced Manufacturing industries.”

Samantha “Sam” Martin indicated that her plans for the future are to graduate from University of California Merced with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. “Then I hope to attend UC Davis to earn master’s degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Education,” said Martin.  

“I’ve wanted to be a teacher for most of my life, but I never could figure out what I wanted to teach until taking Mr. Frank’s engineering classes. I want to work in a place where I am not only teaching, but continually learning. I would like to return to Rocklin and educate the next generation.”