Sandy Creek juniors and seniors presented on their mentorship experiences Dec. 10, as part of the NCAPS program.
Presentations centered on various careers, including agriculture, education, healthcare, photography, tattooing, and cosmetology, among others.
Nick Fuller described the intricate system of software engineering he learned while interning with Caleb Bennett at Nebraska Logic.
During his mentorship, Fuller learned how to research new markets and analyze existing customer needs; monitor changes in the marketplace and stay ahead of trends; use technology and customer feedback to come up with novel solutions; and review existing code for inefficiencies or bugs to improve structure, performance, and readability.
At the end of his presentation, Fuller said he’d like to go to college for software engineering.
Karlee Bailey mentored with Karen Hubl, a labor and delivery nurse, and Megan James, a NICU nurse, at Mary Lanning.
During her first visit, Bailey witnessed a c-section; learned about postpartum recovery and newborn assessment; saw how NICU admission and stabilization is done; and toured the facility.
During her next visit, she learned about speech therapy; saw feedings and changing of diapers of newborns; learned how hearing screenings are done with newborns; and what needs to be done for discharge.
Throughout her next two visits, she continued learning about newborn assessments, vital signs, feedings, and discharging patients and helping them walk out to their vehicles.
Bailey also talked about how incubators are used for newborns, and what qualifies a baby for NICU.
Currently, Bailey is unsure where she wants to attend college, but does want to major in pre-nursing.
Kyler Hegemann mentored with Sandy Creek third-grade teacher Brooke Defrain, learning the ins-and-outs of the classroom and the various methods Defrain uses to make learning fun for students.
At her mentorship visits, Hegemman worked with small reading groups; and helped with a science experiment and a trivia game about popcorn.
She talked about why teachers should make learning fun, noting how 91 percent of learners value fun in learning.
Karlee Bailey, left, and Nick Fuller present on their mentorship experiences. ASHLEY D SWANSON | CLAY COUNTY NEWS
Some activities that add some fun to learning include Eureka Squared, Gear Sheet/Waiting Room; Xtra math; HMH into Reading; Mystery Science; and Mc-Graw Hill.
Other learning activities were “Going West,” which students do to learn about the westward expansion.
Must Do May Do, are lists of things students must do—math gear sheet, putting their name in the waiting room, and adding and subtracting. May Do includes reading a book, splash learn, zearn, epic, puzzle, or working on the holiday packet.
The last learning activity Hegemman mentioned was pen pal letter, which helps students work on writing and helps them connect with high schoolers.
Hegemman plans to attend MSU, majoring in elementary education. Next semester, she plans to change her mentor and work on photography.
