Seniors Katia Goldberg, Dylan Reid and Eden Levit attended Superintendent Jack Smith’s Superintendent’s breakfast, which focused on careers in STEM, Sept. 29. The Whitman administration extended invitations to the three seniors after teachers recommended them from from a list of Whitman students who have taken STEM classes.

Smith’s office hosted about 30 MCPS students, STEM professionals, college representatives and representatives of the Discovery Company for the breakfast, which took place at the Bethesda Marriott. Students asked the professionals about their careers, listened to speakers discuss their experience in STEM and learned about local STEM programs.

“It was a really great opportunity to hear about different careers, mostly medical and engineering types,” Goldberg said.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Erin O’Shea, president of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, who shared her experiences as a woman in a male-dominated STEM field.

“She didn’t talk about only science, but  also about other values that you should take into everything you do in life— working hard, always striving to be the best you can be, being resilient,” Reid said.

Reid, Goldberg and Levit all said they enjoyed the experience.

“It gave me more insight on different fields in general,” Levit said. “I enjoyed having conversations with other people at my table from a wide range of fields who shared their pathways in their careers.”