This week the Advanced Placement Calculus students in Mr. Fischer's AP classes took a tour of FloDesign, the engineering firm located just north of the Wilbraham & Monson Academy campus. The firm is developing a new style of wind turbine which could change the wind energy industry. The company also makes a wide range of other products such as toys and breast implants. The students were given a warm welcome from company employees, got to see the shop where many of the products are developed, fidget with some of the products, and ask questions. Students learned that you do not have to go to MIT to be a cutting-edge engineer, and you get to spend lots of time away from a desk and computer in this role. Starting a career as an engineer can be a great path to financial success because and engineers get to turn their creative ideas into functioning products.

The half-hour visits were enjoyed by all and seemed to get a number of students thinking about career options. FloDesign is a good friend of the Academy. Yun-Seong Nam, who is attending Wesleyan University, and  Bryant Kwak ('09) served internships at the firm last year. Tom Kennedy, father of Teresa '12 and Brian '15 works there. He and other members of their staff presented information about their revolutionary wind turbine at School Meeting earlier this year.