Being in the Aerospace Industry in multiple leadership roles in a career spanning over 45 years, I’ve provided engineering career education using a multitude of insight, experience and knowledge. I have witnessed how early exposure to STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics—can shape a child’s confidence, curiosity, and career trajectory. STEM is not just about becoming an engineer or scientist; it develops problem-solving skills, creativity, teamwork, and resilience. (this I added from your panel discussion and article last year).
Children from underrepresented communities often struggle to envision themselves in STEM careers; however, parents can help by exposing them to diverse role models and meaningful opportunities. The good news is that you do not have to be a STEM expert to support your child’s exposure and growth in these fields. Small, intentional steps can make a powerful difference.
I see STEM activities as a value-added contribution in a child’s education. Within STEM, there are many avenues to pursue. Careers include teachers, mathematicians, scientists (research and data analyst), engineers (aerospace, civil, mechanical, biomedical), cybersecurity, and software developers. Take learning like eating an elephant. How would you do that? You take one bite at a time. Show enthusiasm in your child’s interest development. They say the best time to plant a tree was ten years ago and the next best time to plant a tree is today. Invest in your child’s interest and monitor their progress.
By Cecil Fields, MSTM retired Aerospace
For many years, people believed that Black people were incapable of and did not invent anything. Contrary to this belief, inventions by Black people number in the hundreds. Everyday items like bottle caps, pencil sharpeners, refrigerators, and ironing boards were invented and patented by Black people. Many received little or no recognition nor any financial rewards for their efforts, and no one had any desire to keep track of them until the early 1960s.
Before the Civil War, there were very few inventors, inventions by Blacks or whites. All mechanical labor was done by the Blacks who were slaves, so many of the mechanical modifications of the day were made by slaves who were trying to lessen the drudgery of their work. These Black inventors could not obtain patents because of the law requiring citizenship of an inventor, and slaves were not considered citizens. Many were compelled to sign their inventions to their masters, who afterwards secured patents for the invention of their slaves and reaped all the benefits resulting from the manufacturing, the sale of such articles. However, there were enough inventions in the patent records to indicate the ethnicity of the inventor.
The federal government made no effort to collect data as to the number and kinds of inventions by Blacks until January 1900, when Charles H. Duell, the Commissioner of Patents, decided to do so. However, another employee had already begun the job. The list was used in selecting a small exhibit of Black inventors; first for the Cotton Centennial at New Orleans in 1884; again for the World Fair in Chicago in 1893; and lastly for the Southern Exposition at Atlanta in 1895.
In the 1900s, the U.S. Commission to the Paris Exposition made the first definitive effort to obtain information on Black inventors. Letters were sent out to more than 8,000 registered patent attorneys throughout the country. Nearly 2,500 lawyers responded that they had never heard of a Black inventor, and a few added they never expected to hear one. Some responded that though the inquiry was a joke. Letters were also sent to the owners of the large manufacturing firms that employed both Blacks and whites, to various newspapers edited by Blacks and whites, and to prominent individual Blacks.
The replies from these letters verified that correspondents personally knew of and could identify by name, date, and number more than 400 patents granted by the United States to Black inventors. The replies also stated many more Black inventors had completed their inventions, had applied to patent attorneys for their inventions, but finally gave up due to the lack of funds. The replies also mentioned that many patents had been taken out by attorneys for Black clients who preferred not to have their identity disclosed because of the negative effect it may have on the commercial value of their patents.
More than a thousand authentic cases were identified by the name of the inventor, date, number of patent, and title of inventions being granted for inventions by Blacks. The following is a partial list of the inventions of Blacks. Bailey, L. C., Fielding bed, 1899.There are many many more, but time and space do not permit comprehension, the presentation of a complete list.
Donna Palmer, Gifted Educator
Spring has a way of reminding us that nothing stays the same for long. Flowers return after months of stillness, days stretch out a little longer, and everything feels like a gentle invitation to begin again. As parents, we need that reminder more than we admit: it’s never too late to reset, soften, or shift the way we show up for our families.
If I’m honest, I find myself beginning again all the time. Sometimes it’s after a long day when I wasn’t as patient as I wanted to be. Sometimes it’s the moments when looking at my oldest moving closer to twelve and realizing he’s becoming a young man right in front of me. It’s bittersweet, watching him grow. I’m proud of the person he’s becoming, but I also feel the tug of wanting to slow time. Those moments make me wish I could go back, redo things, be more gentle, and savor more. And yet, they’re also what remind me: tomorrow is always another chance.
“Beginning again” isn’t about fixing everything. It’s about grace, the kind we give to our children and the kind we often forget to offer ourselves. It’s saying, “I didn’t get it right today, but I can try again tomorrow.” It’s acknowledging when I fall short, apologizing, reconnecting, and choosing a softer path forward.
Honestly, beginning again goes hand in hand with letting go of the myth of perfect routines.
If you walked into our home, you wouldn’t find a schedule or color-coded structure. We wake when we’re rested, not when alarms demand it. Some days breakfast happens closer to lunch. Lessons flow at a pace that fits the day, not the minutes on the clock. We reset when we need to. We adjust. We pivot. And yes sometimes we get behind and have to catch up.
But even in the clutter and imperfection, our home works. Our kids are happy. We laugh, we learn, we talk through books together, we take our time. The routine isn’t perfect, it's personal. And that’s what makes it sustainable.
There’s a quiet freedom in realizing that structure doesn’t have to look the same in every household. What matters is connection. What matters is showing up in ways that actually support your family’s wellbeing, not society’s expectations.
As spring settles in, maybe this is the season to let go of perfection. To embrace the beauty in messy mornings, slow starts, second chances, and days that unfold a little differently than planned. To remember that as parents, we are always learning and always allowed to begin again.
Ashley Kimathi, entrepreneru and mother of two gifted children
Central Cities Association for Gifted & Talented Children Summer Enrichment Scholarships are given to supplement the learning opportunities of underrepresented gifted & talented students. CCAGTC wishes to assist local students augment and enrich
their summer experiences by awarding enrichment scholarships.
Summer Scholarships are an opportunity for students to participate in a class, individual instruction, or a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts , or Math (STEAM) program. Students also have the option of working with a mentor and creating an independent study learning experience of their own design.
Scholarship Applications open from March 15th to May 15th – Please share with families that you believe would be interested. Scholarships range from $250.00-500.00.
Eligibility Criteria: 3rd to 12th grade underrepresented gifted & talented student in the Southern California area. Students must be willing to share a brief statement and /or pictures of their summer experience that CCAGTC can share with members via
Website, Enews or at CCAGTC event. Please complete and return the application by May 15, 2025..