Above, left: Ed Downing reviews STEM education statistics at the launch of the Trailblazer II; above, right: Ed and other TAME Board Members at the Lockheed Martin launch of the Trailblazer II; bottom: Ed with Wichita Falls TAME Club students after participation in a TAME Math and Science Competition.
“Wichita Falls will create a pedigree of students, without regard to race, ethnicity or gender, who are superb – excited, confident and ready for college. These kids will come back and be leaders in their community.”
Ed Downing has been the Chapter Leader in TAME’s Wichita Falls Chapter since 1985. Ed served in the US Air Force and worked at ONCOR, Texas’s largest regulated electric delivery business. TAME recently recognized Ed for his dedication and decades of commitment to the students of Wichita Falls. This story is the second segment in a three-part series celebrating past and present leadership in Wichita Falls.
What got you involved with TAME?
I arrived in Texas from Florida in 1985 as a lieutenant in the Air Force at Sheppard Air Force Base, and got involved with TAME almost immediately. Lots of the enlisted personnel had kids, and I had kids, and I got involved to help the kids.
Working on the base had a lot of advantages. I could get the kids into the flight simulator, onto construction sites, into entomology courses for the grounds crews on base. The same people that were taking care of weeds on the base were also in charge of getting rid of snakes and other creatures, and we kept the creatures they caught in little cages so that we could train other people to recognize them. The kids had a lot of fun with that. Now some of these kids are in their 50s!
What do TAME programs offer to kids in Wichita Falls?
TAME brings kids in and provides continued support. It just takes a little thing to get them started or to keep them going – encouragement to fill out an application, for example.
I got one young man involved with TAME 20 or so years ago. He was the child of a single mother and had not had an easy time. He wasn’t the shining star of the school, but he was serious-minded. Upon graduation, he got a little scholarship, went on to join the Marines, got his BA, then his Masters, then his PhD and now he’s a professor of electrical engineering in San Antonio.
TAME clubs teach kids the skills they need early on. It’s too late if they wait until college – they need to get those skills down in the early years. We work with kids to get past the fear and make learning fun and practical. How are you going to use these skills in your life? How are you going to make money?
Texas is a sports-driven state. Sports get all the attention. I’m a sports enthusiast myself, but if we can bring that same excitement to STEM, we’ll elevate these kids.
How is Wichita Falls changing?
Wichita Falls is coming back. Before the economic downturns, industry was a big part of the community. Southwestern Bell was a great supporter of TAME, and lots of young engineers volunteered with us. CertainTeed Fiberglass used to invite the TAME clubs out to see the kilns where they melted down the glass and also get an idea of what jobs were out there in the workforce – not just laborer jobs, but manager and engineering jobs. After the downturns, a lot of businesses pulled back.
Now we’re starting to see a lot more involvement and a lot more energy. The McCoy Foundation, the Pratt-Whitney Foundation and the Alcoa Foundation are all going above and beyond. MSU has a very vibrant and effective mechanical engineering department. The City is getting ready to offer tax benefits and loan forgiveness programs to attract more jobs.
It’s turning around. You can now hear the pulse without a stethoscope! It’s turning around and I have high hopes for these kids.
What do you think the future holds for this generation of TAME students?
Current students need to be ready for challenges. There’s a lot of competition, and we want to encourage them to excel. TAME clubs are serious work. The competitions are getting harder and harder. My advice is, take advantage of what TAME offers. Practice for the divisional competitions, practice for the ACT and the SAT even in your freshman year. Observe where you need to improve and do the work to do better next time.
We can put Wichita Falls on the map. We’ll be known not just for the Air Force base or for industry, but for academia. Wichita Falls will create a pedigree of students, without regard to race, ethnicity or gender, who are superb – excited, confident and ready for college. These kids will come back and be leaders in their community.
By Jessie Temple, September 21, 2015.
“Wichita Falls will create a pedigree of students, without regard to race, ethnicity or gender, who are superb – excited, confident and ready for college. These kids will come back and be leaders in their community.“
