James Payne, IV

Payne’s innovative teaching idea, “Securing Our STEM Future,” focuses on teaching students the skills, knowledge and certifications required to meet the well-documented employment crisis in medical laboratories, locally and nationally, once they graduate. According to Payne, to meet this need, the program must be expanded with new equipment such as microscopes, to aid in studying bacteria, blood, tissue, urine sediments and water to develop skills that can be used in medical, environmental, food and biotechnological labs. Students typically learn these high-level skills in college, but, with the purchase of additional equipment made possible by the Voya Unsung Heroes grant, WEMOCO students will graduate from high school better prepared for college and the workplace.