Engineering, science, and manufacturing careers came to life for the Upper School, when 27 students from Grades 8-12 accepted the invitation to join an inspiring excursion to Jayne Industries in Stoney Creek, Ontario. Jayne Industries is a proud Canadian manufacturing leader with 40+ years of innovation, serving top industries like steel, petrochemicals, and cement.
Chris Pirie, president, took time out of his busy day to lead our group on a personalized tour of the facility, guiding us in exploring the science behind heat-resistant materials used in extreme environments, how metals and specialty alloys are shaped into advanced engineered products, mold making and cutting-edge manufacturing technology, and real-world careers in engineering, welding, and more. In response to her visit, one student summarized enthusiastically, ‘The whole thing was amazing!’ The clanking, the metal-bending, the robots – wow! Impressively, one of Jayne Industries’ engineers had taken time before the date of our arrival to design a stainless steel keychain with the Hawthorn logo. We were mesmerized to watch on as the fobs were laser engraved – and then we were each gifted with this incredible personal souvenir!
To cap off our excursion in celebration, a friend of Jayne Industries generously invited our whole group out for lunch at The Express, Italian Eatery in Stoney Creek. Fresh garlic bread, wood-oven pizzas, insalate, and in-house pasta adorned each of our tables – and everything was absolutely delicious! Thank you so very much, Mr. White!
We are truly grateful for our visit to Jayne Industries. We met engineering and manufacturing experts who were keen to share insights into STEM careers, internships, and mentorship programs, and who inspired us to connect our classroom science and math to exciting future jobs. This was an incredible chance for us to explore a cool, fast-growing industry and to consider our options in science, technology, engineering, and math.
