PROFILE
And that was music to the ears of APEGA volunteer Randi Buchner, E.I.T. "They were all brain storming in their teams and were so focused on the task at hand. It was such a neat feeling to experience the sound of thinking," says Ms. Buchner, who works for the City of Medicine Hat and is the outreach lead for APEGA's Medicine Hat Branch. While the students were creating, event volunteers soon had their own engineering challenge to overcome: the small pool they were using to test the boats sprung a leak. "Luckily, with it being an APEGA event, there was a team of engineers at hand," laughs Ms. Buchner. "With a little duct tape and a glue gun, the pool was fixed in no time and the day was saved." In previous years, the APEGA Science Olympics in Medicine Hat has been held in conjunction with other events. This was the first time the branch has held it as a stand-alone. Ms. Buchner, with 14 other volunteers, helped ensure success. She describes the day in two words: incredibly inspiring. One of her highlights was watching students learn, on the spot, as they attempted to meet their challenges. She uses the minefield egg toss as an example, which has students design a device to protect an egg from breaking. "The students would toss their creation and chase after it, then anxiously open it to see if their egg was broken," remembers Ms. Buchner. Their excitement when the egg was still intact — and even when it was broken — was priceless. "They got to experience hands-on trial-and-error, and there's no better way to do that than to get a bit messy," she says. Working on the challenges, students would make comments like, “Next year we could try it this way,” or, “I can’t wait till next time!" "It was so awesome to see their excitement to try — and to try things differently — to find a way that works," says Ms. Buchner. Besides testing and developing critical thinking skills, a goal of the APEGA Science Olympics is to build awareness of engineering and geoscience as a career option. Most students know little about what APEGA professionals really do. "Feedback from the teachers and parents was that many of the kids didn’t know about engineering and geo-
science, but now they could see how practical and appli- cable it is to a lot of the things we do in everyday life.”
SPARKING THE INTEREST So, what does all this have to do with the bigger picture of who Ms. Buchner is, as an E.I.T. and as a person? Quite a bit, actually. She knows firsthand how events like the APEGA Science Olympics can influence youth to explore engi- neering and geoscience careers. As a teen, she partici- pated in science fairs, went to science camps, and took part in Operation Minerva, a one-day job shadowing event that gives Grades 8 and 9 girls a sneak peek into math and science careers. "If I hadn’t done those things, I don’t think I would have been as interested in going into engineering. They definitely introduce you to it and they sparked my interest." In high school, a counsellor suggested she con- sider engineering as a career path because of her strong math and science grades. She graduated from the University of Alberta Faculty of Engineering’s civil engineering co-op program in 2015. Not long after that, she became an outreach volunteer with the Medicine Hat Branch and found herself spearheading the APEGA Science Olympics. "Growing up, there were always people there to be a role model and mentor to me. It’s good to get involved and do the same for others," says Ms. Buchner. She’s thrilled with the support the event received from teachers, parents, and students. “I’m really looking forward to planning for next year.”
THE CHILDREN LEARN — AND SO DO VOLUNTEERS
Not unlike the students who take part, Ms. Buchner is building her skillset through the APEGA Science Olym- pics. Those organization and communications skills come in handy at her job with the city. She’s worked for the municipality for almost two years, an experience that’s given her a great foundation early in her career. Projects she’s undertaken have included reviews of speed limits and signing in school zones, railway agreements, and construction at the airport. She’s also worked on dam safety in the community.
SUMMER 2017 PEG | 63
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