With football season at a close, Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Tackle Kelvin Beachum Jr. is gearing up for something off the field and in the classroom: Getting more kids interested in what STEM fields have to offer.
While his area of expertise is in blocking and ensuring there’s a clear path to the end zone, a few of Beachum’s family members are involved in STEM-related fields, making this a cause he is passionate about.
His father, equipped with nothing more than an eighth-grade education, went on to become an auto mechanic and opened up one of the largest businesses in his hometown of Mexia, Texas. His wife, a nurse, does something science, technology, engineering, and math-related everyday, he pointed out in an interview with CheatSheet.
“I’m really trying to approach my involvement in STEM with the idea that I can help get kids more interested and involved in the field, while also potentially opening doors on the business side of things. My passion, though, is on the youth side of it. I really want to help educate and encourage young kids, specifically young men and women of color, about the potential career avenues that are available in STEM-related fields,” he explained.
His recent adventures into the world of STEM include visits to the National Robotics Center and Everpower, a company in the wind-power industry. In addition, he teamed with youth centers in Pittsburgh to bring 20 kids to American Airlines, where they explored gutted airplanes and spoke to the engineers who work on them.
“It’s great to play football. It’s great to want to be a pro athlete or pro basketball player, but it’s more than just being a pro,” he said. “When football is over and done with, you have to go and have a career and be able to make money,” he said in an interview with CBS Pittsburgh.
At only 26, Beachum will likely be hitting the field for several years to come, but he’ll also continue to add a cool factor to STEM education and encourage youth to enter a field that offers a promising future ahead.