Weber State to Hold Celebration Ceremony for First-Year WSU PREP Participants
















WSU President Wight converses with a student participating in WSU PREP 
OGDEN, Utah — Following completion of a rigorous seven-week summer course at Weber State University in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 69 seventh-grade students will exhibit their projects at a graduation celebration on July 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the Shepherd Union Ballrooms A and B.
 
The program called WSU PREP is free for students in Davis, Ogden and Weber school districts. It is designed to prepare and motivate students to pursue studies and careers in STEM fields. Students will enroll for three consecutive summers following sixth grade.
 
“Our goal is to celebrate, highlight and acknowledge those who have been a part of the pilot year for WSU PREP,” said Dana Dellinger, PREP program manager.
 
Three hundred people are expected at the two-hour celebration, which will include a 40-minute formal recognition ceremony. David Ferro, dean of WSU’s College of Applied Science & Technology, where the program is housed, will be the keynote speaker. Various student participants also will speak.
 
After the ceremony, students will exhibit and demonstrate what they have learned over the summer, including programing robots, understanding circuits and logic, and problem-solving challenges.
 
Helena Vu, a seventh-grade student who will attend Central Davis Junior High in the fall, said the program opened her eyes to new possibilities and talents.
 “I learned different methods of how to solve problems in math, and in life,” Vu said. “Engineering was one of my favorites. We did hands-on stuff, like building bridges with gumdrops and toothpicks, programming robots, and making circuits. This was a fun program, and anyone who tries it will want to come back.”
 
Vu’s mother, Kristine Tran, said she was pleased her daughter had a good experience in WSU PREP.
 
“I would like kids to be exposed to the engineering program earlier, so they can see whether they like it or not,” she said. “It doesn’t hurt to learn more. At first, Helena didn’t like engineering, but now she says that it is one of her favorite subjects. WSU PREP did a great job of making the program really fun and learnable. I hope the WSU PREP team will continue to help out these young future engineers. In fact, Helena’s younger brother, who is in the fourth grade, cannot wait to join the program.”
 
For more information on WSU PREP, visit weber.edu/wsuprep. For more information on the College of Applied Science & Technology, visit weber.edu/COAST.
 
Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
 
Author:
Marcus Jensen, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7295 • marcusjensen@weber.edu
Contact:
Dana Dellinger, WSU PREP program manager
801-626-7552 • danadellinger@weber.edu