While Zach Oxendine is not a student or graduate of a SC technical college, he is using his influence as a nationally recognized Microsoft employee to promote STEM education in his hometown of Rock Hill, SC. By partnering with York Tech, private donors, and a handful of local companies and organizations, he was able to bring a dynamic, interactive, week-long STEM experience to area high schoolers on the York Tech campus earlier this summer. We caught up with Zach to learn more about his Pursuit of STEM camp – and the inspiration behind it.

Your backstory is unique in that you have so many competing narratives.

Yeah… I was raised by two deaf parents; that by itself is going to create a different kind of worldview. My father is Lumbee, so I have Indigenous roots on his side. My mom’s family is from rural Ohio. I grew up with seven brothers and sisters. I was a free lunch kid, so there was no privileged background. My parents divorced. And in high school, I was a C student. It may seem like the odds were stacked against me, but I think this upbringing allowed me to be more open-minded about how I think about things and the kinds of people I associate with.

And clearly, none of this has held you back. Today, you’re an Air Force veteran, an Engineering Technical Program Manager with Microsoft, a sought-after speaker, a legislative advocate, and a camp director. Tell us… how does camp director fit with that list of credentials?

Working in my field, I realized that there were not many people from Indigenous communities in technology, and when I spoke to people, they did not realize the opportunities that were available in these fields. I wanted to create a way to inspire kids to re-think their involvement in STEM fields, so I decided to build a STEM camp for Indigenous people. Last year’s camp was Discovering DC with Indigenous STEM, and this year’s was Pursuit of STEM, a camp that was open to kids of all races from rural communities. At some point in the future, I hope there is an opportunity for me to build a STEM camp exclusively for deaf students.

Last year’s camp was in our nation’s capital, and this year’s was in Rock Hill, SC. What made you bring the camp to your hometown?

One of the first things you realize when you go to a city like Washington, DC, is that it has all of these different organizations and all of these old buildings filled with people making very important decisions that affect all our lives – but there are not a lot of people from Rock Hill, SC, there! I think COVID exposed some of the failures among our decision makers when it comes to hard science and data, and it didn’t seem like people from rural communities were included in that. I don’t think it’s because we’re any less intelligent or less capable. I just think we’re going to have to credential ourselves and pursue a collective voice on our own. I’m convinced that we need a renaissance of STEM professionals from communities like York County so that we can have a place at the table, or we’re going to be left out of very significant discussions that will impact us for generations.

Did you find that kind of potential in the students who attended in your camp – the kind that can be nurtured and encouraged so that they do have a voice in these important conversations?

I did! One of the things that differentiates the Pursuit of STEM camp from a lot of other STEM camps out there is that there was no GPA requirement. Now don’t get me wrong – there’s a lot to be said for aptitude and ability when it comes to STEM. I don’t believe in lowering the requirements to be successful in the field. Our problems are hard, and the ability to solve them is going to be hard. But there are intangibles of optimism, grit, determination, and life experience that you can’t necessarily qualify in testing or traditional education measures. A lot of these campers had qualities that might not show up in a GPA. And yet they did very difficult things throughout the week, and they worked well together and accomplished a lot.

I think you even see that embrace of difficulty in the camp’s name: Pursuit of STEM. Pursuit doesn’t mean the objective is completed or accomplished. Success can escape you over and over and over. And that’s one of the main inspirations of the camp. There’s difficult stuff that needs to be done, and we need more people doing it.

We had a teen who wasn’t really there for the fun and games but was ready to work every day. And another student who came from a privileged background but never let that interfere with how he interacted with his underprivileged peers. And a young lady who was so well-spoken and excited to get some early exposure to York Tech’s welding program, which she will participate in next school year.

Speaking of York Tech, you say that the college took your vision of a STEM camp, including the integral component of two-year degree programs, and elevated it to the next level.

Yes! I am so thoroughly impressed by Dr. Stacey Moore’s work and the leadership she is cultivating. And I was so fortunate to work with this incredible institution to give high school students the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities and networking. I think a lot of people already know that technical colleges provide a top-notch hands-on education, but we provided a dynamic networking experience for these teens as well.

On the last day of camp, we hosted a Career Expo at York Tech. Keep in mind that there were only about 25 students, but we had just as many booths representing a variety of local companies. Students were able to get genuine, one-on-one time with HR, recruiters, and hiring managers. It reminds me of a line my granddad told me once when I was growing up: “It ain’t the grades you make; it’s the hands you shake.” It’s hard to put a value on that kind of relationship-building.

Another camp experience was a visit to the Catawba Indian Reservation. How did that fit with the goals of your camp?

The thinking behind including that experience was “Go to the source of truth.” Who better to tell us about nature and the earth and the biosciences than people working in that space for thousands of years right here in York County? Currently, there seems to be a resurgence of interest in finding new ways to grow food, in doing more investigation about water quality or the earth, in sustainability.

I think people in York County would be surprised by how many environmental scientists are employed directly or indirectly by the Catawba Indian Nation. All four of the STEM components – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – overlap when it comes to the environment. Students got a very real, personal experience on what that means, and they got to do it right in their backyard.

So many rich experiences for these students! Any final thoughts?

The Pursuit of STEM camp was not about students sitting at a desk or thinking about STEM as an idea. It was getting them actively engaged and imagining themselves making a difference and solving hard problems. STEM is pervasive in every single industry and every single workspace. When students are well-represented from our community, they can become decision makers and innovators in these fields.