South Carolina high school seniors sign certificates of commitment to pursue a STEM-based degree after graduation. (Josh Drake photo)

Erica Parrott, director and chief engineer of Production Engineering for the 787 Program at Boeing South Carolina, offered words of advice encouragement to the students (pictured below).

(Josh Drake photo)

“I am proud to celebrate this outstanding group of students who are choosing to lead, innovate, and shape what’s next through STEM. SC STEM Signing Day is about recognizing the potential of these young minds—and encouraging them to stay curious, ask tough questions, and keep building a better future,” Parrott said.

At the South Carolina Statehouse, honorees were applauded by legislators for their academic excellence and future contributions to the state’s STEM-driven economy. They also met with Governor Henry McMaster, who offered his congratulations to the students.

STEM Signing Day honorees pose with Governor Henry McMaster outside the Statehouse in Columbia. (Josh Drake photo)

Go deeper: Since its inception in 2017, STEM Signing Day has expanded its reach, now celebrated in 14 states and honoring over 2,000 students nationwide. In South Carolina alone, more than 700 students have participated, showcasing the remarkable talent and dedication of the Palmetto State’s youth. This year’s honorees were selected through a competitive application process on the Tallo platform, highlighting their hard work and commitment to their future.

Congratulations to the 2025 honorees!

The post Celebrating tomorrow’s innovators: SC STEM Signing Day appeared first on Boeing South Carolina.

That fact shows the significance of the 787 Dreamliner family’s latest milestone, carrying 1 billion passengers in less than 14 years since entering service in 2011.

Why it matters: The 787 family has accomplished this feat faster than any widebody airplane in history, dependably supporting airline customers and safely carrying passengers to destinations all over the world.

Milestone video: To mark the moment, Boeing released a video honoring the passengers, partners and people behind the success of the 787 Dreamliner family.

The big picture: The global 787 fleet of more than 1,175 airplanes has flown nearly 5 million flights covering more than 30 million flight hours. Here are some facts about the Dreamliner fleet:

“Thank you to our Boeing team, our supplier partners and our customers for making this milestone possible,” said Stephanie Pope, Commercial Airplanes president and CEO. “Passengers love the Dreamliner for its larger windows, quieter cabin, improved humidity, and lower cabin altitude pressurization. Here’s to the next billion!”

Learn more about the 787 Dreamliner difference: Check out the interactive experience that highlights the unique ways airlines are using the 787 to connect the world and hear more from our teammates about what this milestone means to them.

Go deeper: Employees are invited to share their 787 memories and stories on social media using hashtag #Dreamliner.

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Under the supervision of workplace coaches, Manufacturing Student Development Program participants learned some of the foundational elements of airplane assembly. (Xavier Navarro/Boeing photo)

“Walking into Boeing South Carolina every day and seeing these airplanes out on the floor—it doesn’t get old,” said Summerville High School senior Gabe Dela Cruz.

Dela Cruz’s Aerospace Engineering teacher initially encouraged him to apply for the manufacturing program he took part in. Now, after completing the program, he’s gained foundational training for mechanics, including learning how to use various drills and apply sealant to carbon composite and other materials.

“Once I started getting my hands dirty, I was like, man, this is for me,” Dela Cruz said.

Gabe Dela Cruz undergoes assembly training in one of BSC’s training facilities. (Xavier Navarro/Boeing photo)

Four hands-on learning programs provide students skills and experience to explore what it’s like working in manufacturing. These programs include the following:

High School Manufacturing Student Development Program: A six-week paid work-based learning experience focused on manufacturing training and skill development in paint and assembly.

High School Engineering Program: An eight-week program for high school seniors supporting Engineering, Quality, and Operations.

High School Fulfillment Program: A seven-week program for high school seniors interested in Supply Chain and logistics. Students assisted with processing and moving materials into and out of storage and other locations to support the flow of production.

Youth Apprenticeship Program: A two-year, year-round program for students interested in mechatronics, supported by Trident Technical College. It combines dual-credit coursework with onsite employment.

Annabel Brenkert, a senior from West Ashley Center for Advanced Studies who participated in the Manufacturing Development program, also enjoyed the hands-on training.

“You get to see what people are doing, how they do it, and what an actual day is like. You’re working the entire time, and it’s really cool because I feel like I have a bigger job,” Brenkert said.

Annabel Brenkert practices drilling in the Boeing South Carolina training area. (Xavier Navarro/Boeing photo)

Beyond the training, Brenkert appreciated meeting other teammates and learning about their experiences on the factory floor.

“Everyone I’ve talked to who has worked here for 10 or 20 years is just so happy,” she said. “To think of being able to work in an environment that allows me to be that happy…would be really amazing.”

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About 20 BSC teammates joined National Park Service staff from Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie on the field to present a large American flag during the singing of the National Anthem. The flag displayed was a replica of the 33 Star United States flag that flew over Fort Sumter before the beginning of the Civil War.

“This was a great experience for our family, especially my 11-year-old son,” said Natalie Kruse, BSC’s enterprise food services analyst, who attended the game with her family. “My son has always been proud that I work for Boeing, but being on the field as part of the BSC team and seeing our support of veterans and the military brought it to a new level.”

The game was the minor league baseball team’s second Boeing-sponsored Military Appreciation Night of the season. All veterans and service members and their received free admission to the game.

The next RiverDogs Military Appreciation Night will be Aug. 8.

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Boeing’s investment will allow the museum to offer free admission for its first year. School groups from Dorchester District 4 and surrounding areas have already scheduled visits to the satellite location.

CML’s satellite location is housed inside the historic and recently-renovated Rosenwald School in St. George. (Boeing photo)

Located within the former classrooms of the recently renovated Rosenwald School, the museum’s satellite location features four engaging galleries designed to inspire curiosity and creativity among young learners.

What to expect:

• A town square-themed gallery with interactive experiences including a child-sized grocery store, a voting location presented by the League of Women Voters Charleston, and an interactive apple tree.
• A creative STEM gallery featuring a Juke Joint with musical instruments, arts space with digital drawing technology, and a miniature stage for pretend play, provided by CML Board Member Jasmine Woodard Rose and the Rose family.
• A tinker lab equipped with tools and interactive displays encouraging hands-on exploration of STEM concepts.
• A classroom for school groups led by museum educators in immersive STEM programs.

Part of the museum includes a tinker lab that allows visitors to explore STEM concepts, including the forces of flight. (Boeing photo)

“Boeing is proud to partner with the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry to open its new museum space inside the St. George Rosenwald School in Dorchester County,” said Kristina Mauger, 787 Production System leader and CML board member, who spoke at the grand opening on May 21. “We believe it’s important to introduce students to STEM in the crucial early education years in order to spark curiosity and creativity, and we’re confident CML’s newest campus will inspire young minds to use collaboration, persistence and problem-solving skills.”

Hours and other details: The museum will operate Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the summer, transitioning to Tuesday through Saturday hours once the 2024-25 school year begins.

For more information about the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry and its new St. George location, visit www.explorecml.org.

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Similar to college signing days for athletes, the students were recognized for their intent to pursue a two- or four-year degree in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field after graduating from high school.

Students signed letters of intent to pursue a STEM-based degree after graduating high school. (Boeing photo)

The ceremony was held at the University of South Carolina Alumni Center and honorees were recognized by the SC House of Representatives, SC Senate, and Governor McMaster at the Statehouse during the afternoon. The event concluded with a legislative lunch outside the statehouse where students could network with lawmakers, business executives and each other.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster spoke with the honorees outside the Statehouse. (Boeing photo)

What they’re saying: “We are thrilled to continue the tradition of recognizing outstanding high school seniors from across South Carolina who have committed to pursuing STEM degrees,” saidErica Parrott, Director and Chief Engineer of Production Engineering for the 787 Program who spoke during the event. “Our hope for these students is that they will keep their curiosity muscle strong by continuing to ask, ‘why,’ digging into how things work and developing innovative solutions to complex problems.”

“STEM Signing Day was really inspiring to attend,” said Alexis Khalil, a tooling engineer at BSC who attended the event. “From talking to various students one-on-one, it is clear that the next generation of STEM students are very talented. It was also a very full circle moment for me – I remember taking engineering classes in high school, which is where my passion for my career began.”

Go deeper: Created in 2017 in South Carolina, STEM Signing Day has expanded to 14 states and has honored more than 2,000 high school seniors, celebrating the next generation of STEM talent. Over 700 South Carolinians have participated in SC STEM Signing Day in the last seven years. Students across the state applied to be a part of STEM Signing Day through Tallo, an online platform that connects talent with opportunities and is available to all South Carolina students through the SC Future Makers initiative.

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About 50 volunteers planted rows of Smooth Cordgrass,which has been proven to create a more resilient shoreline.Volunteers also swept the island for litter to make it ready for seabird, shorebird and loggerhead sea turtle nesting season.

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787-9 Dreamliner performs demonstration flight over the Boeing-sponsored RBC Heritage golf tournament.

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Why it matters: In 2020, Boeing and Allen University, a historically black university in Columbia, established a partnership to create the Boeing Institute on Civility to be a national hub for teaching and provide programming aimed at advancing civil discourse in America and across the globe. Boeing’s $1.5 investment supported the renovation of the historic Good Samaritan-Waverly Hospital, which houses the Institute.

Zoom in:The panel discussion during the event on March 26 featured Dr. Russell Wigginton, President of the National Civil Rights Museum, and Della Britton, President and CEO of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. Tommy Preston, Jr., Boeing’s vice president of Ethics, served as the moderator. Watch a replay of the event here.

Pictured left to right: Tommy Preston, Boeing Vice President of Ethics; Della Britton, President and CEO of the Jackie Robinson Foudnation; Dr. Russel Wiggington, President of the National Civil Rights Museum (Boeing photo)

Go deeper: Learn more about Allen University, the Boeing Institute on Civility and how to take classes or join seminars here.

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Why it matters: “The ECF provides a way we can all support our local community. Our communities need our support, and each of us has the power to make a difference,” said Erica Parrott, Director and Chief Engineer of Production Engineering for the 787 Program and BSC ECF Executive Sponsor. “Big or small your donation will impact the community where we live, work, and raise our families.”

Here are the 2023 South Carolina ECF grant partners:

About ECF:

• The ECF is funded 100% by donations from teammates and relies heavily on recurring paycheck contributions.
• A teammate-led committee of grantmakers reviews applications from local non-profits each year and determines how best to invest the money in the community.
• Since BSC's chapter began in 2012, the ECF has donated over $2.2 million to Lowcountry non-profits.

How to give to ECF:

• Select the South Carolina chapter in YourCause and follow the prompts.
• Join the InSite group to stay up to date on the BSC chapter, and reach out to GRP ECF South Carolina with any questions.
• Teammates can donate as little as $5 per paycheck to ECF.

Interested in joining the ECF Board? Learn more here.

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