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REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2023 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE I I-CONNECT007 131 You'll read more about this in my Design007 Magazine column, but for now, I'd like to share an inspiring a-ha moment I had during the trade show. It involves a special class of PCB industry stakeholders—our younger set of show-goers who were exploring STEM at the show. IPC's support for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) was refreshingly on display again this year. The busloads of San Diego students arriving on Wednesday and Thursday appeared diverse and positive as they walked together in groups around the show floor. I was able to meet many of them; while many were enthusiastic and engaged, others were a little harder to read. I had a lot of thoughts about that hard-to- read crowd. Maybe these topics were a little too high level, appeared to be uninteresting, or maybe these were kids going through an awkward stage where they have trouble com- municating or making eye contact. As impor- tant as it is to make an impression regarding STEM careers, let's not forget these teens have many physical, psychological, emo- tional, and possibly even financial challenges that might first need to be addressed. I recall certain high school class subjects being dry or boring at first, only to find later that the same subject matter was truly fasci- nating. What made the difference? My men- tors. When I happened to cross paths with an educator who resonated with my own per- sonality traits, or an instructor who spoke my language psychologically and emotionally, I excelled beyond my wildest expectations. So, how can we reach our young people who are at risk of not engaging and missing out on all that STEM programs have to offer? Here's my a-ha moment: These STEM sub- jects may not rub off on everyone in the same way. "Hard-to-reach" may just be "not yet" It requires a unique approach by educators to match or complement the different personali- ties of these youth. What is being done to help? I believe we need more people who can make STEM subject matter come alive, and positive events like IPC APEX EXPO provide a STEM training ground for seasoned show veter- ans to become mentors. Its complementary training message provides a different way to look at STEM: socialize, teach, emerge, and mentor. I like to call it "STEM+." We may not realize it, but just by engaging on the show floor, we experience the tenets of this "STEM+" approach. We may even become inspired to act on it. Here's how I break it down. Socialize IPC APEX EXPO invites wonderful keynote speakers who discuss how science is affecting