Not long ago, in a neighborhood near you, three African American kids grew up in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia. Our neighborhood was unique. Most of the families, or at least the parents, knew each other from when they were kids. Almost all of our parents were graduates of Armstrong High School, Maggie Walker High School, Virginia State University, or Virginia Union University. Our neighborhood parents were mostly teachers, car salespeople, factory workers, and middle managers in corporate America. And they all believed in career imagination.
My family was no different. My mother was a high school mathematics teacher, and my father was a manager for C&P Telephone. It is safe to say that education was the end-all be-all in my house. My parents made it clear that my sisters and I must keep our grades up, not get in trouble in school, and expect much of ourselves. What made my neighborhood so special was that all of our friends’ parents had the same career expectations for them.
The Importance of Extracurricular Activities
Both of my parents were also strong believers in participating in extracurricular activities, especially my mother. She wanted us to do more than come home from school every day, do our homework (which had to be done first), and either watch television or go outside and play. She wanted us involved in different things that would promote leadership and gain new experiences. Indeed, she wanted to help us develop into well-rounded kids. As an elementary school kid, all I wanted to do was play basketball and football with my friends and maybe play with my He-Man toys. My sisters, Rhea and Donna, who were five and six years older than me, respectively, were informed one day that my mother had signed them up for this new program that focused on engineering.
RAPME and Career Imagination
The Richmond Area Program for Minorities in Engineering (RAPME) was starting that summer and would provide middle and high school students with introductory lessons in computer science, engineering, leadership, math, and team building. The program was held on the campus of Virginia State University, which also provided the participants exposure not only to a college campus but also to a historically black college and university, specifically. Both of my sisters were immediately interested due to the idea of being able to “play” with computers and to officially learn more about engineering. They knew that math was definitely going to be involved, because my mother was a math teacher and my father had a math degree, so they knew there was no way around that piece.
I can distinctly remember my mother and sisters sitting at the kitchen table, filling out the application, and reviewing the different activities that the participants would complete for the week. Rhea and Donna originally were not that excited about RAPME due to having to give up a week out of their summer, but as they learned more about the program and what they would do, their excitement increased. Especially after they found out that a couple of the kids in the neighborhood were attending, too. I would not be surprised if this was a coordinated effort by the neighborhood parents the entire time.
My Sisters’ First Day
When my mother and I went to pick my sisters up after their first day of RAPME, my sisters ran to the car so fast, it looked like they were racing. When they hopped in the back seat, (I finally had an opportunity to sit up front as the youngest), they were talking over each other in an attempt to tell my mother and me what they did for the day. They discussed science experiments in which normal everyday liquids were analyzed to determine their density and what happens when these liquids are mixed together. They discussed how math was a large part of physics, and how basic math concepts were used to build bridges. I did not know what physics was, but what my sisters explained sounded so exciting.
Bridge Construction
One of the first projects they completed was the construction of a bridge using only popsicle sticks and glue. The challenge was to not only build a bridge that in my mind resembled the Woodrow Wilson or Golden Gate Bridge but also determine how much weight the bridge could hold by placing one-, three-, and five-ounce plates in the center and ends of the bridge. I never thought about how much weight a bridge could hold, so to me, this was fascinating!
Both Rhea and Donna did well with the bridge design and experiment. I am still unsure to this day how much weight their bridges held, nor do I know the total number of popsicle sticks used, but I do know their bridges did not break as they were allowed to bring them home. Perhaps the RAPME advisers suggested to the participants when the weight was “enough” due to the bridge’s bending. It was years before my sisters allowed me to touch their bridges, which were on display in their rooms. All I wanted to do was to ride my Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars across them anyway.
Shooting for the Stars
The culminating activity for the RAPME program is still one of the coolest projects students can complete. My sisters and all of the other participants had the opportunity to build and shoot a rocket into the air. I can remember Rhea and Donna discussing trajectory, rocket weight, and propulsion in their final designs for the rocket. As an elementary school kid, I envisioned Rhea and Donna becoming aerospace engineers. I imagined them working for NASA like our Uncle Thurman. The “rocket kits” were not allowed to be brought home. They could only be worked on during the hours of the program.
The rocket launch was a big deal as participants’ parents and guests were invited to witness the launches. I was so excited to see these rockets in action. Almost all of the rockets had successful launches and voyages back to Earth. Each rocket was painted and or designed by the group. You could tell that certain members of the groups had specific tasks.
Rhea, who to this day is creative and artistic, had a lot of input in the design of the rocket and the red, white, and blue colors that were used for decoration. I believe Donna, who is more analytical than Rhea, had input into how the parachute would be stored in the rocket. That way, when the rocket turned upside down on its way down, it would eject at the right time. The timing of the disbursement of the parachute was key. That was the only way to ensure that the rocket “survived the landing.”
A Fascinating Result
Not all of the rockets worked like they were supposed to. The propulsion mechanism was a button only a staff member could push. All participants and guests had to stay outside the launch circle during liftoff. The original plan also included the rockets landing somewhere within that same circle. However, several groups had to run after their rockets, which landed all over the field. Watching those rockets take off was a sight of wonder. I could not believe how fast they shot off the launch pad. Nor could I have imagined how high they would soar in the air. It was also amazing to watch the rockers float back to the ground with properly inserted parachutes that opened easily.
As I got older and learned more about force, weight, and the launch pad being the catalyst, I realized that the rockets were so light that they were bound to take off with great acceleration. However, the method by which the parachute was packed into the rocket determined whether a rocket would have a “safe” landing. My sisters let me hold their rocket when the program was all said and done. I could not wait to get home and tell my friends what I saw. Of course, all of us tried to recreate the rocket launches in the neighborhood.
Instilling Career Imagination in Me
Witnessing only bits and pieces of the RAPME experience that my sisters had from the lens of an elementary student was intriguing. I could not wait until I got to middle school so I could also attend RAPME. By this time, the program had grown tremendously. We had to have As and Bs in math and science and a teacher’s recommendation to participate. My mother was thrilled to fill out the registration paperwork. Because of Rhea and Donna’s experience, she also began to take us to the Math and Science Center in Richmond.
Doctors Rhea and Donna
The Math and Science Center grew in interest and explored various STEM projects and experiments for elementary, middle, and high school students. I honestly believe that the experience Rhea and Donna had in the RAPME program, plus some of the dedicated science teachers that they had at Hermitage High School, fostered their love for STEM. In turn, this sparked both of them into STEM-related college majors and, eventually, careers.
Dr. Rhea Miles is the first African American science professor at East Carolina University. She has over twenty published articles. Additionally, she has given over forty regional, national, and international presentations on twenty-first-century Blacks in STEM. Dr. Donna Ellen Newsome is a neurologist in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She was the first African American medical doctor/doctor of philosophy to graduate from the Medical College of Virginia in 1997. For both of them, the early introduction to STEM created career imagination.
About the Author
DR. JOHN B. GORDON III
Dr. John B. Gordon III is the division superintendent of Suffolk (VA) Public Schools. A lifetime educator with leadership experiences in Chesterfield, Fredericksburg, and Richmond, Dr. Gordon understands how education should be customized to fit the needs of all students while expanding opportunities for their future. As a former successful high school basketball coach, he is an expert in team building and strategic planning. He serves as a role model to today’s youth. Dr. Gordon was the first African American principal at James Monroe High School. Likewise, he was the first African American chairman of the Virginia High School League.
A renowned speaker and motivator, Dr. Gordon is the author of The Teacher’s Lounge: The Real Role of Educators in Your Schools, which navigates life as an African American male in predominantly white suburbia. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia. He is president of Schools That Inspire, LLC, where he develops transformational strategies for students, teachers, and instructional leaders. Dr. Gordon earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of Virginia, a master’s of education with a concentration in social studies from the University of Virginia, a post-masters certificate in educational leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech. He has three children: Marcus, Kennedy, and Simone.
