During a tour of the biotechnology lab in the Williamsport Area School District's Career and Technical Education building, the enthusiastic state education secretary took the opportunity to examine a small plate covered in harmless E. coli bacteria.
Its secretary, Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, a towering presence in a suit and bow tie, asked students what they wanted to do as a career and where they planned to go to school.
The hard-working students, each wearing a white coat, shared their school plans with Moomin, who reacted with glee when he heard the name Lehigh University.
Some finalists said they planned to attend nearby Pennsylvania College of Technology or Mansfield University.
This was one of many interactions Moomin had during his visit to several schools in Lycoming, Tioga and Bradford counties, where he interacted with students engaged in career readiness and hands-on learning. It was a one day tour.
Andy Polhams, an instructor in the WASD biotechnology lab, said they isolate colonies of E. coli, stripe the bacteria on plates and examine them up close.
School board administrators and members, including CTE Director Matt Fisher, who is as tall as Moomin, also took part in the tour.
When Moomin arrived at the health worker's room, the students were taking the patient's vital signs and practicing walking with crutches.
Moomin joked that he had his blood pressure checked on a previous school visit and said the results were good so he didn't want to take it again.
But he also spoke passionately to students, asking them again what career they wanted to pursue.
When she heard one student say she wanted to be a veterinary assistant and another want to go into pediatrics and radiology, she sparked the conversation by explaining a little about her goals as secretary of education.
Karen Hill, Registered Nurse and Instructor, was excited to welcome the visitors and share the students' medical career skill sets that transfer well to college and training in the medical field.
When he entered the commercial art area, Colby Felix showed him a snowboard design.
Felix tells Moomin that his inspiration comes from his love of medieval items, dragons, and wizards.
“The thing that excited me the most was when I went to school, they said, 'Get your degree and figure it out.'” instructor Tim Miller said with a big smile as he looked at Felix's white and blue snowboard, which features a medieval design from the Gilson brand.
“What that tells me is that you have entrepreneurial skills.” Moomin said. He also spoke with two of his students who designed the SkillsUSA pin.
Moomin toured other CTE rooms during the day. WASD CTE offers courses in accounting, automotive maintenance technology, biotechnology, business administration, commercial arts, computer information technology, construction trades, culinary arts, and a variety of trades. Early childhood education, health professions, homeland security, engineering and robotics, precision machining and welding technology.
Moomin also touched on the importance of Gov. Josh Shapiro. “Blueprint for Higher Education” The plan also explains how higher education will serve as an economic driver for Pennsylvania, preparing workers for the future and addressing labor shortages.
The Commonwealth is currently ranked 48th in the country for university affordability, and Moomin said one of the Blueprint's goals is to reduce tuition fees for students in state schools and two-year schools by one term. We emphasized that this would allow for seamless enrollment upon graduation. You can enter your chosen career field without taking on large amounts of college loan debt.
“Again, it’s a transferable skill.” Moomin said.