Posted on March 31, 2025
Future leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields gathered March 26 at the Citrus Heights Community Center to learn about the various opportunities available to them in STEM career fields, including those at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District.
These future leaders were comprised of dozens of local middle and high school students participating in the Leadership, Ethics, and Development in STEM (LEADS) conference, hosted by the West Point Society of Northern California and supported by USACE Sacramento District. This event empowered students to learn all about their future careers from the people who work in them today.
USACE Sacramento District Commander and West Point graduate Col. Chad Caldwell opened the event with inspiring words to the students in attendance.
“Today is about helping you understand the lineage between leadership, ethics, and STEM,” he said. “And maybe open your eyes to the possibilities that are out there for you in the future.”
Most importantly, he encouraged the students to continuously do three things to be successful today and in their futures: be curious, ask questions, and think critically.
“That’s how I ended up being an engineer,” he said. “Because I was curious, I asked a lot of questions, and I decided to think critically for my entire career. I encourage you all to do the same.”
Col. Caldwell and other Sacramento District staff interacted with students and their teachers during hands-on activities and informational presentations.
The high school students were inspired to consider a variety of careers in STEM fields such as an architect, geologist, or even a park ranger; while their teachers learned about opportunities students have access to even before they graduate college, such as the Pathways Program, a developmental program for students and recent graduates to gain experience in their respective fields.
Though a little way away from applying to colleges, the middle schoolers were encouraged to begin thinking about STEM in their daily lives. They participated in four interactive activities alongside USACE Sacramento District staff to learn about the USACE mission.
They delivered vital engineering solutions building structures with building block sets and following blueprints to build towers using spaghetti and marshmallows. They reduced disaster risk by seeing how water flows during different rain and flood events using a flood model and protected an endangered species by re-creating an annual salmon run and swimming upstream through various obstacles. After each activity, the students learned how each of these activities translate into a future career.
Senior district ranger Alicia Unsinn facilitated the salmon run game for the students.
“My favorite part of this event was interacting with the students and discussing how engineering and science can play a role in preserving natural resources,” she said.
Each activity served to show students that an education and career in STEM can lead them toward a fulfilling career.
“Bottomline is if you set a foundation in sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics, you can go do anything,” Col. Caldwell said. “STEM is so important; it’s such a great foundation for everything else that you can do in life. It’s why people like me who’ve done it are so passionate and want to tell you all about it.”
To discover more about USACE opportunities, visit: https://www.spk.usace.army.mil/Careers/
Senior district ranger Alicia Unsinn (left) and district natural resource specialist Hilary Wright (right) hold a jump rope for a salmon run game at the 2025 Leadership, Ethics, and Development in STEM Workshop on March 26, 2025. The game intends to teach students about the obstacles salmon face in waterways.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District project manager Deb Lewis speaks with high school students at the 2025 Leadership, Ethics, and Development in STEM Workshop on March 26, 2025. Lewis briefed students on the various career opportunities available at USACE Sacramento District including the Pathways and Student Intern Programs.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District Commander Col. Chad Caldwell talks to local middle school and high school students at the Citrus Heights Community Center on March 26, 2025. USACE Sacramento District supported the 2025 Leadership, Ethics, and Development in STEM Workshop hosted by the West Point Society of Northern California.
A building blocks structure sits in front of its builder at the 2025 Leadership, Ethics, and Development in STEM on Workshop March 26, 2025. During the workshop, students built several different structures, such as a pyramid, under various time constraints.
District natural resource specialist Hilary Wright (left) and senior district ranger Alicia Unsinn (right) sit with middle school students at the 2025 Leadership, Ethics, and Development in STEM Workshop on March 26, 2025. Wright and Unsinn spoke with students about their roles at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District.
A student pours water into a flood model at the 2025 Leadership, Ethics, and Development in STEM Workshop on March 26, 2025. The flood model is designed to teach people about the consequences of major flood events in terrain like that of the Sacramento area.
