Entering the 2018-2019 school year, many changes occurred on the high school campus. From the physical appearance of the cafeteria to an expansion of courses, DHS continues to grow. Intro to Engineering, taught by Mickey Morgan, seems like a promising addition to the school. Students jumped at the chance to take this exciting new course and look forward to a year of pleasant surprises.

For many students, the goal of entering an engineering career seemed far down the path, something many students start in college. Due to the introduction of this new course, the opportunity to better prepare and get a head start in this career field excites the future engineers here.

“Engineering has always interested me. It is something I’ve always thought about as a career,” junior Madelyn Thompson said.

Besides students aspiring for an engineering career, some people saw the course as an opportunity to expand their knowledge on a general basis.

“ I took this class because I’m hoping to further my knowledge in STEM,” junior Milly Rowden said.

With the prospect of an exciting new course, students prepare for a year of action and interesting activities. Eager to begin, students look forward to a variety of hands on projects and learning.

“I’m looking forward to being able to build rockets with my friends in the class and enjoying learning new things,” Thompson said.

Morgan, previously a part of the Decatur technology department, joins the ranks of DHS teachers. He expresses his excitement at the prospect of joining the CTE program and helping his students grow in their learning.

“The point of the engineering class is to create innovators, to get them to think about solutions before the problems even present themselves, and to be able to find the answers on their own without needing someone to hand it to them,” Morgan said.

Through looking at ways other engineers approach certain topics, like future technologies that have been presented, and guiding students on how to problem solve using rocket building, Morgan hopes to leave a positive influence in the lives of his students.

“That’s what I want every student in there to do, so that when they leave my class…they have the ability when they get there that when a problem arises they don’t crumble, they see it as an obstacle that can be defeated, and they conquer it and even go beyond and foresee future problems to come,” Morgan said.

Most importantly, Morgan hopes his students realize the great prospect of innovation and the value in failure, as well as success.

“Not every rocket will be a success in the sense that it will reach the mile and do what we ask, but every rocket will be a success in the sense that everybody will try to make it and put

their own unique touches on it. You have a goal and it’s always great to achieve that goal, but trying to achieve [it] and the journey to get there is so much more important,” Morgan said.

Evidently students need to prepare for a lot of changes as the year surges forward. From the study of engineering to rocket building, students taking this class better prepare for a year of growth, ending with all different kinds of success.

“Colleges and companies are realizing…that these students are creating something out of nothing…achieving their goals, and there are a lot of them that go on to do great things,” Morgan said.