TYNER — Congressman Don Davis, D-1st, visited Chowan Middle School on Tuesday to talk to the students about their future.  

As Davis walked into the school’s library, he kindly greeted a 6’1” seventh-grader named Joseph Layton, holding a Chromebook, a laptop he uses to do his classwork. Much like his peers, Joseph is a marvel with computers, technology and gaming systems as much as he is with athletics.  Buzzword these days — STEAM — which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture and Math.

​​”The young people at the middle school are amazing here to see what they’re doing with STEAM in particular,” said Davis, a US Air Force Academy graduate who has earned a master of science degree from Central Michigan University and a master’s in sociology and a doctorate in education from East Carolina University. “They are truly charting the pathway for what I believe is gonna be a more innovative and technologically driven future for Northeastern North Carolina. They are heading for the future in jobs that have not even been created yet. So I’m really delighted to be able to be here. The administrators, teachers, everybody, they’re just doing an amazing job!”

As to a display of technology, Davis got to see the Bulldogs’ Carter Walker’s drone expertise – see video.   

Davis talked to a group of Bulldogs – all experts at science, technology, engineering, agriculture and math (STEAM). Yes, I know it’s STEM, but Joy Harvill of the Edenton-Chowan Education Foundation, learned how schools in the Philippines add the word Agriculture to the acronym during a recent trip with teachers and others to Washington DC — and that’s a good word to add.

STEAM students who deserve a gold star (not any particular order) are Caiden Hurdle, Luis Garcia, and Clark Simmons, all sixth-graders; Anne Marie Shook, Joseph Layton and Reginae Bunch, all seventh-graders; and Carter Walker and Rommel Cortezano, both eighth-graders. A shout-out goes to Superintendent Tammi Ward, Edenton-Chowan Board of Education member Sherronne Battle, CMS Principal Brittany Lopez, and various Bulldogs educators who’ve made a difference in the lives of many Bulldogs’ students.  

Let’s just recount what Davis said during his visit – inspiring and encouraging students, investing in their futures that perhaps may be in Northeastern NC.   

“We are looking at how we can continue to create opportunities right here in the county, in the area, in Northeast North Carolina, so maybe you don’t have to go too far,” he said. 

A House Armed Services Committee member, Davis said, “We know right now that China is outpacing us by building ships. They’re building way more ships quicker than we are in the United States. So what we’re interested in is increasing the number of ships that we’re building. So we have to make sure that we keep America safe. Right?”

Davis continued, “We have to make sure that we are able to safeguard the American people. And you (students) were talking about the airplanes, how interesting, fascinating, and at the same time, we are saving lives in the end if we ever find ourselves trying to deal with war. The other thing is it’s not just war that we have ships and airplanes — all this, that’s also what we call deterrence.”

Davis asked, “Who knows what that word is? Deterrence.”

Bulldogs’ sixth-grader, Caiden Hurdle, answered by discussing the types of deterrence as if he were a general in command of troops.  

Davis responded, “You’re right. We can have deterrents in different ways. What it is, if someone sees that you have capability of responding to any situation, let’s say someone’s interested in trying to go to war with the United States, but they see that we have these airplanes and ships, and they’re really capable, do you think they’re gonna want to just go to war?  They’re gonna think twice. Right? So you got to think twice. Right?”

Davis continued, “So that’s what deterrence is. So we do that for many different reasons. But going back to building more ships, right now, we build ships, for instance, in Newport News, which is right down the street. Right? There’s infrastructure there. That’s where they do naval shipbuilding, so we’re looking at ramping up shipbuilding, giving more money so that we can build more ships. Well, guess what? They need people … it’s pathway for a good paying job.”

Davis mentioned Elizabeth City State’s aviation and drone technology programs. 

“I think about Elizabeth State University. They have a four-year aviation science program. They have drones that bring you to the other frontier. For instance, in agriculture, you can use drones to actually go and assess water levels. And so you can use drone technology on so many different applications to assess emergency management.” 

Davis continued, “But we’re going to need someone with the knowledge and capability to be able to do this. And, again, the part of what we’re looking at is how we can do more of this right here. I want you to be successful, to get all the knowledge, to be successful, and stay here. But if for some reason you decide to leave, I still want you to be successful.”