For nearly 25 years, PLTW has offered transformative classroom and learning experiences for PreK-12 students. Now, many of those students are professionals in STEM fields. We recently reached out to several PLTW alumni to learn more about their educational and career journeys and find out what advice they have for current PLTW students. If you are a PLTW alumnus interested in sharing your story, we’d love to hear from you here.
Sydney Wilson lives in Bloomington, Indiana, and attends Indiana University Bloomington with a focus in pre-med. In high school, Sydney completed the Principles of Biomedical Science, Human Body Systems, Medical Interventions, and Biomedical Innovations courses in the PLTW Biomedical Science program.
In what grades did you participate in PLTW? What were some of your most memorable experiences from PLTW?
I participated in PLTW from 10th-12th grade. My most memorable experiences are the dissection labs and the unit on prenatal care and disease. Dissections were my favorite labs to do and being hands-on really helped me engage in the material we were learning. The unit on prenatal care is what sparked my love for obstetrics and gynecology, which is the path I wish to pursue.
What did your journey look like to get to where you are today?
My journey to get where I am at today started in a PLTW classroom. I always knew I wanted to be a doctor, even though the idea seemed somewhat unachievable to me. I fell in love with the material and the idea of helping people. My teachers were encouraging and cultivated my love for learning. The experience of being in PLTW boosted my confidence and helped me to realize that this path, although long and difficult, is my passion. I also received my CNA certification, and I feel having that experience working in the healthcare field was extremely beneficial.
What is your current role within your company - What are your responsibilities in this position?
I am currently a student studying Human Biology (pre-medical track) at Indiana University Bloomington. My responsibilities are to learn! I’m embracing this moment in my life before work and school become more demanding.
What did you learn in PLTW that still helps you today?
Learning how to run experiments, make scientific posters, work in teams, problem-solve, apply current knowledge to new situations, and the huge amount of information about the body and diseases are things I still use today. I feel what I learned in PTLW has given me such a leg up in my college courses.
Do you have any advice for current PLTW students?
My advice would be to try to engage and learn this material because if you plan to go into healthcare, the knowledge will give you a huge advantage. I also advise students to be curious and find out what they like and don't like! Some students don't even figure out what kind of doctor they want to be until med-school, but for me, being passionate about a certain field has helped me to keep sight of what I am working towards.
Anything else you’d like to add?
This program is awesome, and I feel so grateful to have been able to take these classes! I think it's really awesome the program still keeps in touch with its alumni!
