Tracy students dream big at LLNL’s ‘Dream Day’ event

About two dozen students from Tracy, California, visited Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) on March 21 for a day of interactive enrichment activities as part of “Dream Day,” an event designed to introduce students to Lab careers and science.

The students — 25 sixth- through eighth-graders from Tracy’s Frieler and Monte Vista middle schools and George Kelly and Gladys Poet-Christian elementary schools — engaged in scientific discovery, web development, engineering and cybersecurity-related activities and learned about cutting-edge research at LLNL. The teams also participated in a friendly competition to foster teamwork and emphasize the collaborative nature of STEM careers.

Students were assigned to one of three color-coded teams, each led by two Lab staff members. Throughout the day, the teams rotated through activities designed to spark their interest in STEM and showcase career possibilities, including a scavenger hunt at the Discovery Center, a crash course on creating basic websites, and a challenge to build and test light-up helicopters and circuits from cardstock, copper tape and LEDs. In a group activity at the University of California-Livermore Collaboration Center, the teams were given a cipher and 30 minutes to crack a code. The students worked against the clock, using their cryptography skills to open a lockbox and unveil a mother lode of treats. The day ended with a “Tech Wizard” trivia competition.

Emily Tran, a seventh grader at Monte Vista, said she became interested in a career in engineering because her father is an engineer, but the Discovery Center scavenger hunt gave her a broader perspective of the work Livermore Lab does.

“I really like building stuff and being able to touch and interact with all the things here,” Tran said. “I could definitely think of working in some place like this.”

Isaac Olguin, an eighth grader from George Kelly, said his favorite parts of the day were building the helicopters, the coding activity and the conversations with other students during lunch.

“Getting to throw the helicopters we made up in the air and seeing how they move was just really fun. I also really enjoyed building a website, and I really liked how mine came out,” Olguin said.  “This was definitely one of my favorite field trips I've had so far in my entire life. I’ll be remembering it for a while.”

LLNL hosted the first Dream Day for Livermore students in 2024, but this was the first time the event was offered to students in Tracy. Another Dream Day for Livermore students is scheduled for April 18.

Sponsored by LLNL’s Computing Directorate and the Science Education Program, Dream Day is the brainchild of Lab software developers Mariah Martinez and Paige Jones, who co-founded it to provide students with hands-on exposure to computer science, engineering and other STEM-related fields.

Inspired by their work with the Girls Who Code program, Martinez and Jones identified a gap in computer science outreach. Dream Day was born from brainstorming sessions fueled by their shared passion for outreach and mentoring, Martinez explained. They pitched the idea to Lab leadership, emphasizing the importance of exposing students to careers they may not have imagined, and the project took off with enthusiastic support. The program, which was initially open to Girls Who Code clubs, has since expanded to include all students from both Livermore and Tracy Unified middle schools, broadening access to LLNL’s unique STEM opportunities.

Martinez said Dream Day differs from other Lab outreach programs by fostering collaboration and problem-solving skills through team-based activities. For Martinez, Dream Day is about giving back, educating young students that working at the Lab is a real option, and stressing to students the importance of dreaming big and pursuing those dreams.

“I want them to see that there are a lot of opportunities out there that they didn't realize could become an entire career that they will love and be able to make a difference in the world,” Martinez said. “Secondly, there's a national laboratory right down the street — you have an opportunity to come and work at one of the most amazing places, filled with some of the most brilliant minds in the world. And if you have that opportunity, you should take it.”

Dream Day co-founder Jones said she wanted students to take home a clearer understanding of the diverse roles at a national laboratory, with the long-term goal of inspiring some to pursue careers at LLNL.

“I hope this ignites that passion for them — that they continue on, and we also create a pipeline for the Lab,” Jones said. “We get them excited about what it’s like to work at a national laboratory, because most students, although they know Lawrence Livermore exists, they don’t necessarily know what we do.”

Computing Workforce Administrator Jamie Lewis noted that despite Tracy’s proximity to Livermore, many Tracy students might not have access to the Lab or its staff. Growing up in Hayward, Lewis didn’t know there were national labs in the area until much later in life, so she knows firsthand how important moments of discovery like Dream Day can create positive ripple effects in the students’ communities.

"Days like this can change someone's life — they really can,” Lewis said. “We hope that’s something they take with them, that little tinge of interest, of staying in STEM and coming to work for us someday. One trip can absolutely make all the difference."

Joanna Albala, manager of LLNL’s Science Education program, emphasized the value of Dream Day in inspiring students in STEM and careers at the Lab, extending beyond traditional science roles into the arts, communication and administration. By targeting middle school students, Dream Day aims to help local youth make informed educational choices as they progress through high school.

"Dream Day is one of the few programs where we bring that cohort of students on-site to experience a little touch of the LLNL magic,” Albala said.

Dean Reese, director of STEM curriculum and local assessment for the Tracy Unified School District, said for most of the students, the field trip was their first visit to the Lab, presenting an opportunity for students interested in computer science to learn directly from Lab scientists and stoke their enthusiasm.

“We want to help them see where learning those coding and computer science skills might lead them,” Reese said. “This is their initial exposure to a wonderful place for a STEM career. Some of our students might go on to computer science majors and find different career pathways, but it all starts with getting excited about the possibility of what computer science can do in terms of a future career.”

Dream Day organizers included Nikki Finnestead, Elyssa Bishop and Mildred Lambrecht. Lab staff, including Jefferey Fairbanks, Casie Zayas, Brent Deaver, Vijaysankari Karani, Cassie Tucker and Ulysses Juan, served as team leaders. Activity leaders were Clayton Jacobs, Kyle Cookerly, Makena Haroldson Briceno, Derrick Aragon, Lauren Barmore, Monique Romine and Lily Forest.

Looking ahead, organizers said they’re planning an extended version of the event, where students will have more time to ask questions and learn from activity leaders who will share their own career journeys and dreams.