Letter to the Editor: Let Our Youth Take Pride in Their Endeavors

By Tiffany Pottinger-Sutton, Norristown Area School District Alumna

I must express the disappointment and shock I felt when I learned that your board denied the Eisenhower Middle School Robotics Team request to participate in the academic-based VEX Robotics Competition.

As an and Alum and a masters level STEM discipline professional working in the local biotech community, I recognize the importance of giving our youth opportunities to take pride in their endeavors, particularly those that have such extraordinary implications for next generations entering the workforce.

Federal and State policy initiatives are often aimed at improving STEM education (U.S. Department of Education, April 2011) and we are doing our country a disservice by not rallying behind this local team to celebrate their accomplishment and encouraging their continued pursuits in this and related fields.  I, along with other community members and alumni, demand your justification for denying the request. 

I am certain that this could not be related to funding as there are many individuals, myself included, that would commit to funding the registration, travel and/or lodging costs for the team and their chaperones. I will be contacting family, friends, community members and other leaders in the biotech/pharma workforce and urging them to contact your board until you are able to outline your reasons for voting against participation in this academic competition.  

Respectfully,

Tiffany Pottinger-Sutton,

• M.S. Temple University School of Pharmacy '10
• West Chester University '06 (ACS Biochemistry)
• Norristown Area High School '02
• Eisenhower Middle School