STEM Lab Opens at CECHS

By Misty Cryer

When missions, visions, and commitments align, it is time to celebrate. Carlsbad Early College High School (CECHS) was selected as the first high school in New Mexico—the second in the nation—to receive a fully equipped Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation STEM lab.

The STEM lab was sponsored by Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO), the management and operations contractor for the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

The grand opening of the STEM lab was held on August 1, with many distinguished guests present. Beginning with a lineup of speakers, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the CECHS students also had the opportunity to interact with various components of the lab. Lab features listed on the CECHS Fact Sheet include robotics kits, engineering tools, 3D printers, coding platforms, and collaborative workspaces for hands-on projects.

“Today is an exciting and meaningful day for our campus, our students, and the entire community as we celebrate the official ribbon cutting of our Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation STEM Lab,” Stacy Verdin, Principal of CECHS, said when opening the ceremony.

“This incredible space represents so much more than just technology and equipment; it symbolizes innovation, opportunity, and the bright future of education right here in Carlsbad,” she said.

Verdin welcomed guests and expressed gratitude to elected officials and members of the Carlsbad Municipal School’s Board of Education. “Your continued support and belief in the work we do here at CECHS is invaluable, and your presence here today speaks volumes,” she said.

“We are also honored to welcome our generous community partners, without whom we would not be in this moment. I want to especially recognize Dr. Joy Foster, Dan Sweet, and Ken Harrawood—the SIMCO team—and the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. Thanks to your commitment and partnership, this vision is now a reality,” said Verdin.

“SIMCO is making history, becoming the first organization in New Mexico to fund a Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation STEM center at the high school level,” said Verdin. “We’re only the second in the nation. That’s an extraordinary achievement, and we are so proud and thankful to be a part of it,” she said.

Dr. Gerry Washburn, Superintendent of the Carlsbad Municipal School District, offered a few words about education opportunities nationwide, statewide, and within the district. About the quality of education in the CECHS program, he said it is unmatched by anything in the country. “The kids here are performing at an incredibility high level,” he said, prior to expressing gratitude to the community partners and staff.

Dr. Joy Foster with SIMCO shared recent test scores from the CECHS students, which were higher than those of the district, the state, all U.S. schools, U.S. territories, and global testers. “We here at SIMCO are excited to support the Carlsbad Early College High School and the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation,” she said.

“SIMCO is very proud to sponsor the first Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation STEM lab in New Mexico through a $40,000 grant to Carlsbad Early College High School,” said Ken Harrawood, President and Program Manager of SIMCO. “By expanding access to cutting-edge STEM tools, this lab empowers Carlsbad students with hands-on experiences that prepare them for high-skill careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.

“It is critical to the future success of the Permian Basin,” he said, mentioning workforce development.

“This STEM lab is more than a classroom. It is a strategic investment in long-term community growth, resilience, and opportunity, even beyond the life of WIPP’s mission,” said Harrawood.

“Through its partnership with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, SIMCO is helping close opportunity gaps by bringing advanced STEM learning directly to local students, so that all have access to 21st-century skills,” he said.

Shannon Johnson of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation said to the CECHS students, as a native New Mexican, “I am so very proud of all of you—the testing scores—incredible. I was blown away by that, and you are from Carlsbad, New Mexico.”

She continued, “A lot of people in the world are probably saying, ‘Who are these kids?’ I want to tell you that you are incredible. You are vastly intelligent. Each of you is going to change the world someday, and I cannot wait to see what you do.”

Brad Fessler, Professional Development Manager at Sphero, reviewed the skills that students will learn in the STEM lab, expressing the hope that they will carry these skills into the workforce.

“You’re going to learn about some programming, you’re going to learn about some engineering skills, how to solve a problem in a good, organized way,” he said.

In encouraging the students to learn how the skills translate into the real world through independent research beyond the classroom, Fessler said, “Once you understand why you use these things in the real world, it’ll all make more sense when you’re doing it there in the classroom on paper, and that’s our goal with any technology.”