Hello viewers! This is the first installment of the STEAM Ambassador series, where we take the time to highlight an individual that proudly represents STEAM within their professional career and personal passions.
Our first spotlight focuses on Matt Fearrington, who is an IT Systems Integrator for the Marathon Petroleum Corporation. He has worn multiple hats in his years at Marathon ranging from programming, to requirements gathering, to system architecture. He is a Toledo, OH native and holds a bachelors degree in Computer Science and Engineering Technology from The University of Toledo.
In his free time, Matt enjoys creating video games and has created numerous Flash games since his was a middle school student. As he looks to the future, he plans on continuing to create games featured more in the mobile space. He has discovered a deeper passion for art design, which has resulted himself in teaching himself how to paint and animate to further build his skills as a developer.
Check out the video below to view our entire interview!
To learn more about Matt's current projects and play some of his games, check out the following links below:
Games:
https://armorgames.com/play/15585/the-telekinetic-incident (Telekinetic Incident) https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/489960 (Gradium)
Artwork (Follow him on Instagram too! @skeikart)
Other Projects:
https://www.conventioncompanion.com/ (Convention Companion)
Do you see yourself as a STEAM Ambassador or know someone who embodies the power of STEAM in their lives? Connect with me either at kristenvelliott@gmail.com or through the contact box on my homepage!
What is STEAM? You have probably heard of the acronym STEM before; if not, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It focuses on and promotes teaching students specific skills catered toward the scientific approach. Focusing on STEM initiatives allows the opportunity for certain pragmatic math and science skills to be learned as well as other key skills such as critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and technology literacy for example.
STEAM is a variation of the thought process of STEM, with the key difference focusing on the power of the arts. Therefore, you guessed it – the STEAM acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. The “A” in STEAM can be anything artistic, ranging from visual arts, music, and theatre to digital design and creative writing.
STEAM is an educational movement that aims the innovators of tomorrow to become thoughtful, creative collaborators. The belief is that many STEM based initiatives require a foundation of creativity and the power of the arts fuel a thinker to reach their full potential. And by infusing the arts into STEM, students can begin to foster a love for exploration, creativity, and inspired experimental thinking to not only widen their horizons but give them the opportunity to develop key soft skills to support their futures.
So, what is a STEAM Ambassador then? A STEAM Ambassador is someone who currently holds a role within a core STEM based field and embodies a passion for the arts, either professionally as well, or personally. Their arts background has inspired them in their industry and we are excited to hear about their interests, their personal projects, and how they see the connections between the two.
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