“How many of you know you’re smart?” Dr. Velma Deleveaux, an engineer and principal at Booz Allen Hamilton, asked a roomful of Greenbelt Middle School students on Tuesday morning. “I should see every hand up.”
Deleveaux’s visit to the school is part of the USA Science and Engineering Festival’s efforts to inspire and spark student interest nationwide in the prevalent science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) issues of today’s world. This year’s festival will be at the D.C. Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday, April 7 and 8. The festival’s Nifty Fifty program sends more than 200 top scientists and engineers to schools across the country prior to the April event. Lockheed Martin, the advanced technology company, will host the event aimed at promoting careers in STEM.
Deleveaux has given many of these talks to a variety of age groups. Different audiences call for different talking points for Deleveaux; however, there are key themes she always relays to listeners. “Know you’re smart” was the first. “Be persistent” was the second message. The last key to her own success, Deleveaux told the group, was to surround herself with people who are positive, to remove “negatives from my posse.”
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