From Garage Floors to Governor’s Recognition: The Story Behind a STEM Advocate

I am the little blonde in the cockpit. The plane was named “Yellow Bird”.

From Garage Floors to Governor’s Recognition: The Story Behind a STEM Advocate

If you would’ve asked me years ago where my passion for STEM came from, I wouldn’t have pointed to a classroom.

I would’ve pointed to a garage.

To a workbench.

To a Saturday morning that started before sunrise.

And to my dad, Tom.

Before STEM was an acronym… before it became a national priority… before it was woven into strategic plans and funding streams… it was simply curiosity. It was tinkering. It was breaking something just to figure out how to fix it.

That’s where it started for me.

I grew up building and rebuilding RC cars—taking them apart, figuring out why they didn’t work, and putting them back together better (most of the time). I built model kits with my dad, spending hours at the craft store picking out the next project. Those weren’t just hobbies… they were lessons. Patience. Problem-solving. Pride in creation.

I still remember my dad’s first “cell phone.” It wasn’t something you slipped into your pocket—it was a full briefcase. A dial pad, a corded receiver, plugged into the car. And when we got to use it? That felt like the future.

But nothing compared to the day he brought home my first airplane.

It was a small, gas-powered kit plane, tethered to a string. We’d mix the fuel just right, fire up that tiny engine, and watch it take off—circling us in a perfect loop out in the field across the street. I can still hear the sound of that engine.

And the crashes? Just as exciting.

Because every crash meant an opportunity to rebuild. To problem-solve. To try again.

That little plane turned into bigger planes. Gas-powered to electric. Backyard flying to trips out to the RC airstrip, watching experienced pilots take to the sky.

And all along the way, my dad was right there—not giving me all the answers, but giving me the space to figure it out. Then celebrating with me when I did.

We were also fortunate to have a small personal plane in our family. Some of my most vivid memories are those early Saturday mornings. My dad would wake me up—just me—while my siblings were still asleep. We’d head to the executive airport, take off, and “fly to pancakes.”

Then it was back home… chores waiting.

But those flights? They stayed with me.

They still do.

Even the small things—like working on the lawn mower in the garage or tinkering with anything that had an engine—fed that same curiosity. That same drive to understand how things work.

Looking back, I realize now: that was STEM.

Not the buzzword.

Not the initiative.

The experience.

Today, we talk about STEM—and now STEAM (dad joke intended)—as a modern movement. But the truth is, these experiences are centuries old. Innovation has always started in garages, workshops, and backyards. What’s changed is the scale… and the opportunity.

At AACT, we’ve taken those same foundational experiences and elevated them. We’ve built systems, pathways, and partnerships that give students access to real-world, high-demand STEM opportunities—aviation, engineering, healthcare, media, and beyond.

But at its core?

It’s still about that same feeling.

Curiosity.

Creation.

Failure… and trying again.

Receiving the Nevada State STEM Advocate of the Year award is an incredible honor. I’m grateful to the Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology and to Governor Joe Lombardo for this recognition. I’m also humbled to stand alongside so many incredible educators and advocates across our state doing this important work.

But the truth is—this doesn’t feel like work.

It feels like something that’s been a part of me since I was a kid standing in a field, holding onto a string, watching a small airplane take flight.

This recognition is not just about me. It reflects the collective work happening at AACT—our students, our educators, our industry partners—who are all committed to creating meaningful, authentic learning experiences.

It’s about access.

It’s about opportunity.

It’s about keeping that spark alive in every student who walks through our doors.

So yes—I’m honored.

But more than anything, I’m energized.

Because that same kid who rebuilt his first airplane?

He’s still here.

Still learning.

Still building.

Still believing in what’s possible.

Thank you, Governor.

And Dad… thank you for lighting the spark.

Let’s keep bringing the E to CTE.

Energize. Engage. Empower.