Thirty-nine Nease High School engineering students traded their classrooms for professional workplaces Monday, Oct. 12, spending the morning alongside engineers at five Jacksonville-area companies.

Sophomores, juniors and seniors in the Stellar Academy of Engineering participated in mini-internships at Stellar, KLS Martin, Langan, Baker Construction and Haskell during a teacher planning day.

Students selected companies based on their career interests, according to a report by the St. Johns County School District's Career and Technical Education program, written by academy coordinator Jaime Combs.

The experience introduced students to environmental, civil, structural, electrical and biomedical engineering, along with construction management.

Students tackle engineering challenges

Dressed in business attire, students met with professional engineers, toured company facilities and learned about careers in their fields of interest.

They also worked on engineering challenges and presented their solutions to company representatives.

The mini-internships gave students an opportunity to apply classroom lessons in professional settings without missing regular instructional time.

Combs thanked the five companies for providing the experience and allowing students to explore potential career paths.

Academy connects students with engineering careers

The Stellar Academy of Engineering is a four-year program at Nease High School that introduces students to multiple engineering disciplines through classroom instruction, hands-on projects and industry partnerships.

It is the only academy in St. Johns County that allows students to explore multiple engineering disciplines within a single program, according to the district's CTE website.

The academy operates in partnership with Stellar, a Jacksonville-based company specializing in design, engineering and construction services.

Stellar began supporting pre-engineering education at Nease in 2006. The partnership provides students with access to engineering professionals and opportunities to learn about the industry.

Students can pursue industry certifications in design software, including AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor and Fusion 360.

The academy also works with the University of North Florida's College of Engineering to help prepare students for higher education and engineering careers.

Local companies support career exploration

All five participating companies have operations in the Jacksonville area and represent different engineering and construction specialties.

KLS Martin develops and manufactures medical devices, including patient-specific surgical implants, while Stellar provides engineering, design and construction services.

Langan specializes in engineering and environmental consulting. Baker Construction and Haskell provide construction and related project services.

The mini-internships allowed students to explore how engineering skills apply across industries, from medical technology to infrastructure and building construction.

Students interested in the Stellar Academy of Engineering can find program information through the St. Johns County School District's Career and Technical Education office.