Students pay close attention to Lockheed Martin presentation (Photo: Patterson Press)

By Alex Hunt,

The Robotics Club brought in an engineering contractor for the government to talk to students about pursuing a careen in engineering and technology. The guest speaker came from Lockheed Martin, a Maryland-based company that is making the F-35 Lightning II  airplane for the Air Force.

The U.S. government has hired Lockheed Martin to produce a wide range of aerospace and defense aircraft, ground vehicles, missiles, guided weapons, missile defense systems, naval systems, radar  systems, sensors, situational awareness tactical communications, training and logistics, and safety management unmanned systems. Lockheed Martin also makes non-military high tech devices, such as a “food printer” that uses food coloring and other materials to make food.

“The Robotics Program at Patterson is great friends with Lockheed Martin”, explained Ms. Ball, an engineering teacher and the faculty advisor for the Robotics Club. “Lockheed Martin helps kids to become interested in the engineering career and also give kids a main set of ideas of what to say and do when you become an adult engineer.”

According to Ms. Ball, Patterson students benefit greatly from the encouragement and knowledge about real-world education and careers given by companies like Lockheed Martin.