Indigenous Students Connect with Air Force STEM Opportunities

The Department of the Air Force emphasized the importance of varied voices in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, education during the American Indian Science and Engineering Society National Conference in San Antonio, 3-5 October.

This three-day conference brought together thousands of indigenous students, educators and professionals to promote opportunities and celebrate achievements in STEM.

The DAF’s participation in this year’s conference, themed “Rivers of Resilience: Sustaining Indigenous Innovation,” aimed to foster stronger connections with Native American and Alaska Native communities.

“My journey, like a river, took many turns and cut its own path; at times it was turbulent, and other times calm, or for my Civil Engineering folks, laminar flow,” said Jacqueline Melcher, Indigenous Nations Equality Team co-lead and chief of the 88th Civil Engineering Group’s Installation Management Division during her keynote to students during an awards luncheon. “You will experience the same thing, and I promise you, your peers, your mentors and your tiyospaye (Lakota word for family) will teach you how to swim instead of sink.”

Members from several groups across the DAF, to include INET, Air Force Recruiting Service, Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Personnel Center and more, showcased various pathways to STEM careers within the Air Force and Space Force, both as military personnel and civilian employees.

The DAF offered information about scholarships, internships and career tracks in aerospace engineering, cybersecurity, space operations and more. Enlisted, officer and civilian Airmen and Guardians also shared their insights and experiences, as well as the various DAF essential roles that require STEM skills.

Additionally, the team hosted an immersive “From Sky to Space with America’s Airmen and Guardians” STEM workshop where participants explored various disciplines and professional opportunities across the Air Force and Space Force. DAF members from a variety of STEM specialties introduced some of the DAF’s cutting-edge tools and technologies and guided them through hands-on exercises.

“This event is an opportunity to expose the Air [Force] and Space Force to young people and show them it’s a place where they can not only thrive professionally, but also celebrate their heritage and culture,” Melcher said. “I’m proud that the DAF is not only leading the way in STEM research, but also has INET to demonstrate its desire to promote opportunities and remove barriers for indigenous Airmen and Guardians.”