West Lowndes High School students experienced real world scenarios when they toured a mobile technology lab Friday.
The United States Army brought the mobile exhibit to the high school and took students through three different modules that prepare soldiers for combat by experimenting with various technology and mechanical building skills.
Sgt. First Class Matthew Oliver has taken the mobile lab all over the country and said his job is to “put America’s Army in front of America’s people.”
Oliver said the Army deployed the lab to give students an opportunity to see what the Army does and the skills they need.
“It’s a little different but I think it highlights what we’re trying to get across and makes it fun,” Oliver said. “It’s interactive, and hopefully gets them thinking about what they want to go to school for.”
Referring to the lab as the “wave of the future,” Oliver said students have had a positive reaction to the experience.
“They seem to enjoy it pretty well,” he said.
Moeshia Clemons is an 11th grader at West Lowndes and said while she plans to join the Air Force after graduation, she enjoyed the lab and hearing what the Army representatives had to say.
“I think it’s a good thing for the Army to come talk to students like us,” Clemons said. “It gives us an opportunity to see the things that they do and what our future could be. I love it.”
Zabiqenn Davis, also an eleventh grader, said he used the lab’s computer screens to build a truck for combat.
“I learned about technology and how it worked and how to make it,” Davis said. “I feel like I learned the skills I would need.”
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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