On May 1, 2025, students from Lindbergh, Renton, Hazen, and Talley High Schools gathered at Renton Technical College for an IGNITE GLITTER Conference—a dynamic day of STEM discovery, hands-on workshops, and campus exploration. The event welcomed more than 90 students, who had the opportunity to delve into topics such as Cloud Networking Technology, Cybersecurity, and Robotics through small-group, activity-based sessions.
With expert guidance from Renton Technical College professionals, including Ren Tarvin, Colleen Day, and Jeremy Thorne, students explored STEM career pathways in an inclusive, engaging environment. The event also featured student-led campus tours and a warm welcome from greeters and tour guides Le’Onna Lee, Mitzi Philpott, Eva, and Hector, who made sure every student felt seen and supported throughout the day.
Educators highlighted the importance of hands-on learning and movement throughout the conference, noting how these elements helped students stay engaged and connect more deeply with the material. Small group workshops gave students the space to ask questions, participate fully, and envision themselves in future STEM roles.
This collaborative experience provided students with a glimpse into the exciting possibilities that STEM careers can offer, while reinforcing that representation, creativity, and curiosity should be at the center of every learning opportunity.
“It really allowed me to see the differences and types of CTE and have a deeper look into each of them, as well as learning the basics of how they work and how they improve our society. I really liked learning about the MAC address and the code behind it. It was also really interesting learning about Python and the capture the flag game.”
10th Grade IGNITE Student
“It inspired me to really think about how big and bright the future could be by doing something good and making it. I loved seeing the people who made the robots, and I loved seeing what the volunteers created and continued doing.”
10th Grade IGNITE Student
“The workshops introduced me to multiple fields in STEM. This makes me more comfortable in pursuing STEM careers in the future, as I don’t feel so left in the dark. I especially enjoyed the mechatronics workshop. The volunteers introduced the students to robotics really well, and I appreciated the way we used our time.”
10th Grade IGNITE Student
STUDENTS SURVEYED FOLLOWING PARTICIPATION IN THIS EVENT REPORTED...
76%
INTERESTED IN STEM
71%
KNOW MORE ABOUT STEM CAREERS & THE BENEFITS OF WORKING IN STEM
63%
FEEL MORE CONFIDENT
IN PURSUING STEM
73%
GAINED PERSPECTIVE & FEEL MORE HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FUTURE
Additional Student Feedback:
“This event highlighted careers in STEM that I would love to learn more about, such as cybersecurity.” – 12th Grade IGNITE Student
“I was able to see all the different sides of the STEM field. I liked seeing the robots in person because I’ve never seen one before, so that exposure was nice. My favorite thing was learning about cybersecurity, like the 1s and 0s. I learned a lot about that today.” – 10th Grade IGNITE Student
“This event inspired me to be more open to new experiences and opportunities. Coding on campus and seeing the different types of STEM experiences you can have was great.” – 9th Grade IGNITE Student
“It helped me learn more about career opportunities and inspired me to learn more deeply about tech. My favorite thing was getting an overview of coding. I would like to thank everyone who showed us their profession.” – 9th Grade IGNITE Student
“Today’s event inspired me to learn more about different STEM careers. It also inspired me to pursue an engineering job instead. My favorite thing I learned today was about the capture the flag event for programming. Another thing I learned was that we could spend a day here as a student.” – 10th Grade IGNITE Student
“Today’s event showed me the complexities of pursuing a career in STEM, more specifically in technical engineering. I’m interested in exploring the different programs RTC has to offer in the future. I enjoyed learning about 3D printing and the technology behind the programs. Thank you Jeremy for talking to us about robotics and keeping your words concise—it was very interesting.” – 10th Grade IGNITE Student
“In today’s event, it helped me view the STEM field differently. I found out about opportunities for the future. I liked the robotics part—the teacher was fun.” – 10th Grade IGNITE Student
“It was cool to see young people working in such amazing fields and to see women in STEM. It was also inspiring to see a college so close to us. I liked learning about mechatronics.” – 11th Grade IGNITE Student
“It inspired me to go into STEM and made me more confident in my knowledge. I loved learning about robotics and programming it.” – 9th Grade IGNITE Student
Thank you to our IGNITE Volunteers and Educators:
- Le’Onna Lee
- Mitzi Philpott
- Eva
- Hector
- Ren Tarvin
- Colleen Day
- Jeremy Thorne
- Christina Park
- Amie Mitchell
- Cindy Martinez
- Deborah Currie
- Quan Nguyen
- Yaneth Garcia
- Janet Taylor
- Keith Peck
- Rick Pitts
- Nila Griffin
About IGNITE Worldwide:
IGNITE Worldwide is a 501(c)3 nonprofit STEM education organization that aims to change gender and racial equity in STEM permanently and systematically. We work directly with teachers during the school day to provide programming that promotes gender equity and representation in STEM academics and careers. Through our award-winning program, IGNITE provides engaging, hands-on events that connect students with STEM professionals from industry leaders from around the world. Learn more at igniteworldwide.org.