KOTA KINABALU: PETRONAS recently reached out to secondary school students in Sabah’s northernmost Pitas district to encourage them to continue pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

       This was done through the national oil company’s Discover PETRONAS @ Schools (DPS) programme under its Powering Knowledge initiative.

       The initiative showcases how these critical subjects could lead to diverse careers in the oil, gas and energy industries, empowering students to contribute to the sectors’ advancement.

       The programme, held at Dewan Majlis Daerah Pitas on Dec 6, saw the participation of 120 Form Three and Four Science stream students from six schools.

       The schools were SMK Pitas, SMK Pinggan-Pinggan, SMK Kanibungan, SMK Pitas II, SMK Telaga and SMK Bongkol.

       During the one-day event, students delved deep into the world of STEM and gained insights into career paths in the oil, gas and energy industries through sharing by PETRONAS’ young professionals from Sabah.

       Student Izza Amierah, 16, from SMK Pitas, said the sharing session was especially impactful.

       StarPicks

       Coca-Cola introduces 100% recycled PET bottles for the first time in Malaysia

       “Hearing about their journeys and the opportunities available in the industry has given me a clear direction to pursue my dream of becoming an engineer,” she said.

       Another participant, Mack Enstianlinscky, 15, from SMK Kanibungan, echoed that sentiment, saying the hands-on activities were fun, making it easy for him to learn about STEM.

       “I hope programmes like this can be held more often so that more students are able to get this kind of exposure and encouragement to pursue their STEM dreams,” he said.

       Wycliff Javiek, 16, from SMK Pitas II, said the DPS session inspired him to dream big.

       “Programmes like this will open our eyes to see that hard work and dedication are the key to success,” he said.

       Among those present were Pitas deputy Education officer (learning sector) Normansur Ismail and teachers, as well as volunteers from PETRONAS.

       This was the second DPS programme in Sabah this year after the one in the east coast Tawau district in June, attended by 520 students from 23 schools in the district.

       To date, the DPS has benefitted over 26,000 students and teachers across the country.