As part of a collaboration among the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce, Lake Washington School District and Google, 35 high school students had the opportunity to tour the Google Kirkland campus on Nov. 10.
The students came from Juanita High School, Lake Washington High School, International Community School and Emerson High School. “Our career specialists worked with teachers and used data from our Career Cruising platform to identify students who were interested in careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and computer science pathways,” LWSD Career and Technical Education Specialist Katie Searle said.
The three organizations team up twice a year to put on the event, with one focusing on STEM and the other on leadership. “It’s super fun for all of us,” Darcy Nothnagle, Google’s head of external affairs and government relations for the Pacific Northwest, who organized the Google part of the event, said. “STEM is near and dear to our hearts at Google.”
In addition to the tour, they had a question-and-answer session with a variety of Google employees about how they transitioned from high school to their careers. Students also were able to test out Google Cardboard, a device that, when paired with a smartphone, allows the user to have a virtual reality experience through a variety of applications.
After the tour, they ate lunch with chamber members at The Woodmark Hotel. “I love this lunch,” Kirkland Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bruce Wynn said, encouraging the students and local business leaders to interact before and during the lunch.
Eric Young, Google vice president of engineering and Washington site lead, also gave a presentation to the students and chamber members at the luncheon. He had three key ideas to share with the students as they think about what life has in store post-high school: 1) Be willing to fail and try again. Never give up. 2) Always work hard on something that makes you uncomfortably excited (an idea he shared from Google parent company Alphabet CEO Larry Page). 3) Have a healthy disregard for the seemingly impossible.
“If you believe in yourself, you’re willing to push yourself,” Young said, echoing the comments shared and advice given by the Google Kirkland employees during the tour.
Area high school students try out Google Cardboard devices during a tour of the Google Kirkland campus. CATHERINE KRUMMEY / Kirkland Reporter
Area high school students try out Google Cardboard devices during a tour of the Google Kirkland campus. CATHERINE KRUMMEY / Kirkland Reporter
Eric Young, Google vice president of engineering and Washington site lead, gives a presentation to Kirkland high school students and Kirkland Chamber of Commerce members at a luncheon. CATHERINE KRUMMEY / Kirkland Reporter
Kirkland high school students and Kirkland Chamber of Commerce members interact at a special luncheon sponsored by the chamber, Google and Lake Washington School District. CATHERINE KRUMMEY / Kirkland Reporter
Darcy Nothnagle, Google’s head of external affairs and government relations for the Pacific Northwest, speaks to Kirkland high school students and Kirkland Chamber of Commerce members at a luncheon. CATHERINE KRUMMEY / Kirkland Reporter
