Wallace State’s Talent Search program teams up with UAH’s SMAP during recent Parent Information Seminar

HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Wallace State Community College’s Talent Search (TRIO) program recently held its annual informational seminar for parents of the program.
Talent Search participants are students in 6^th-12^th grades from Wallace State’s service area high schools in Blount, Cullman, Marshall and Morgan Counties.
These students, many of whom are first generation potential college attenders, voluntarily participate in Talent Search in their home schools to be mentored in a wide variety of college readiness activities.
Parent Information Seminars allow parents to be involved in the Talent Search process, making them aware of information and opportunities their students are receiving at school.
During the recent Parent Seminar, Talent Search was excited to welcome Systems Management and Production Center (SMAP), an organization at the University of Alabama at Huntsville that conducts research in support of the U.S. Army at Redstone Arsenal.
Though many full-time engineers, computer scientists, and other specialists work at SMAP, the organization also invites undergraduate students at UAH and other colleges to assist in research projects such as drone development and 3D visualization/animation. SMAP is passionate about student involvement, and it sends teams to middle schools and high schools throughout the state to demonstrate projects they are working on, making students aware of opportunities for study and work through SMAP.
Therefore, the SMAP team, made up of UAH students, set up tables and presentations at the recent Parent Seminar at Wallace State, demonstrating their projects with drones, 3D imaging machines and weather balloons.
UAH Research Scientist and SMAP mentor Norven Goddard addressed the parents in attendance, informing them of SMAP’s desire to offer students from every community in the state the opportunity to work and learn at SMAP. Goddard’s presentation, bolstered by the exciting demonstrations in the lobby, gave the parents a first-hand look at SMAP’s benefits of academic rigor and the pursuit of college training.
Wallace State’s Talent Search and SMAP will continue to collaborate in the coming months to facilitate student exploration of academic majors and careers included in SMAP projects.
For more information about Wallace State, visit www.wallacestate.edu.