These students are headed toward nights of hard studying, but despite the challenges, they’ve checked the box for their projected major — walking into their freshman year with the plan to pursue an education in science, technology, engineering, or math.

Boeing, Partnership for Learning, and Tallo organized a STEM signing day for high schoolers from across Washington to celebrate their trajectory into the world of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math).

On June 4, the students received applause and signed their letters of intent at the Seahawks training facility at Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton.

Students’ projected universities ranged from the University of Washington to Princeton. In addition to the signing and following refreshments, the event included speakers Seahawks wide receiver Dareke Young, State Rep. Vandana Slatter State Representative (D-48th District), Pat Cazeau, senior director of Boeing test and evaluation, and Gina Breukelman, senior manager, Northwest Region, Boeing Global Engagement.

One of the signing students was Bahadir Kremoglu from Kentridge High School. He said he’s been interested in STEM curriculum since he was in elementary school, and his roots are what motivate him to pursue electrical engineering.

“In my childhood I lived in a small country in Africa, in Senegal. There, we had a lot of electricity issues in our house, and that was my motivation to become an electrical engineer, so I could help other people so their electricity doesn’t go out,” Kremoglu said. He said his ultimate goal is to provide for his family and buy them a cabin somewhere near Mount Rainier, but ultimately, it’s up to whatever his dad likes.

Kremoglu said he’s going to the University of Washington Bothell, and he chose that school because many of his friends are attending as well to support him.

Bruekelman said they’ve been putting on this event since 2017, but this is the first time they have collaborated with the Seahawks. In addition to honoring the students, she said they hope to inspire them to be excited about the aerospace industry and excite them to come work for local companies in the area.

“We noticed all the accolades for athletes that were signing to pursue sports at college, and we decided we wanted to do something similar for students that were pursuing academic pursuits,” Breukelman said. “Particularly in STEM, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which is, of course, important studies for Boeing, but other companies in the region as well. So, we wanted to honor the students who are going the academic route, who are equal or on par with the athletic route.”

Bruekelman said she believes this event prompts students to inspire each other with the various fields students plan to study, such as astrophysics, engineering, computer science, and biomedical engineering.

Brukelman said Dareke YYoung was a good example to have for the students because although he pursued athletics, he also earned a degree in engineering physics from Lenoir-Rhyne University, and he hopes to enter the STEM field post-football career. She said many of the students have other interests, too, so this shows them the diversity of what they can bring to the table.

“I was fortunate enough to go to two STEM schools growing up, an elementary school and a high school. In high school, I took a couple engineering classes, not knowing what it was about beforehand. But, just being a part of those classes and building cool things, being around people that mainly wasn’t like me, it wasn’t a lot of athletes in those kind of classes,” Young said. “So, you know, that kind of helped me build people skills and build relationships with people that I probably wouldn’t even have a chance to build a relationship with, being that I was always around my teammates.”

While in university, Young said one of his main engineering physics instructors, Dr. Doug Knight from Lenoir-Rhyne University, was like his coach off of the field, pushing him to be a great student with his busy schedule as an athlete. Young added that there are parallels between playing sports and being on a team. He said teamwork is necessary in both.

“There’s going to be times where you’re in your classroom, and it’s at the end of the classroom. It’s going to be a big chalkboard full of letters, numbers, and long equations, and you’re going to be sitting there like, ‘What does all this mean? Like, why am I doing this? This is really hard,’ but just know your why,” Young said. “My why was knowing that this is something I enjoy doing. In high school, they made us take a test to help us pick out what our major would be in college. And each time I took it, it was mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering. That became my why. I felt like that was something I was destined to do if football didn’t work.” Young added, “All of you guys have strong, special brains, and you won’t know that unless you put them to use.”