DENVER — On Sunday, Colorado students got the experience of a lifetime by watching the Broncos take on the Colts from the stands and the sideline. A Denver organization focused on helping underserved youth and putting them on a career path to STEM jobs is making it possible.
“Mechanical engineering is the main thing I want to learn. But I also would enjoy learning aerospace engineering,” student Javier Tafoya said.
When it comes to talking about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), Tafoya is an expert. So much so that he explained how the robot he worked on was competition-ready.
“So it's for FRC, which is First Robotics Competition. It's a yearly competition where each year you build a new robot from scratch and design code, and each year we go and compete in different states across the country, and then if you win one of the regionals, you go to Worlds in Texas,” he explained.
Tafoya is able to learn more about STEM outside of the classroom thanks to the Campos Foundation, which focuses on serving underrepresented minorities and women.
“We were able to partner with DSST, where we found some students that have a lot of promise and potential that needed a little bit of help. And so every day, we see the help that they need, and we help augment that as we can,” Marco Campos, the founder and executive chairman, said.
Having grown up in Denver Barnum's neighborhood, Campos understands the importance of education.
“So my sister and I, we grew up in west Denver, in the Barnum area, and long story short, I had support along the way. It's important for us to recognize that as we go forward, and we do good and we have success, that we bring others along with us,” Campos said.
Campos kept things honest, saying he went into STEM for money and saw how his decision helped his family. That’s why his foundation is focused on supporting the community and giving them experiences like catching the Denver Broncos play this Sunday
“We've invited a couple dozen students from Denver School of Science and Technology, eighth graders, most of whom have never been to a professional sporting event,” Deanna Campos-Miller, the Campos Foundation director, said.
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