STEM Stars: St. John’s Lutheran’s Hayden Rozewski

Editor’s note: This is the third installment in a Midland Daily News weekly series called “STEM Stars,” which features local secondary students who are Chief

Science Officers (CSOs). These students, in grades 6-12, serve as STEM

(science, technology, engineering and mathematics) ambassadors and liaisons for STEM (science, tech- nology, engineering and mathematics) opportuni- ties in their communities.

This week will feature Hayden Rozewski, a seventh-grader at St. John’s Lutheran School.

When and why did you become a Chief

Science Officer?

I became a CSO last year because I thought it would be an amazing opportunity to teach younger children about STEM.

What does it mean to you to be a CSO?

Being a CSO means sharing, teaching, and spreading the concept of STEM to younger children to get them excited about it.

What do you enjoy about being a CSO so far?

I enjoyed putting together STEM kits for the kids at my school because each time I made an experiment I learned more about the concept.

What is your action plan?

Due to COVID, my original Action Plan of holding an in person STEM club was not able to happen, so I had to adapt, and made each experiment that would have been done at the STEM club into take home kits for those students interested in the program. I made kits for each experiment, and gave them to the kids once a week for five weeks. I provided the materials for the project, along with paper and video instructions.

What first got you interested in STEM?

I was first interested in STEM when I realized that I loved to solve problems, do math and science, and build things. This caused STEM to interest me because these are all major parts in it.

Why is STEM education so important?

STEM education is important because it will be the children of this generation who help to solve the world’s problems and make the world a better place. STEM is the foundation of solving problems, and thus education of it is extremely important.

What are some aspects of STEM that you feel many people aren’t aware of or don’t understand?

Many people think STEM is just a fun way to know how things work, and it is, but it is also a very important life tool, as real-life problems are always using it and its concepts.

What do you like doing in your free time?

In my free time, I like to mountain bike, go for runs, go for long walks, and build LEGO creations with my dad.

What are your career aspirations?

When I grow up, I hope to become some kind of engineer, whether that be chemical, biochemical, biomedical, mechanical, aerospace, or a combination.

What person or people inspire you and in what way?

My teachers, Mr. Massey and Mr. Hiddings, inspire me want to learn more about science and math, to have fun doing it, and to always be curious.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

STEM is a very important tool, and the widespread knowledge of it is important to the future of our planet.