Petroleum Academies » Lamar High School
Lamar High School – Global Energy Management Institute (GEMI)
Earlier this month at Reliant Stadium, Lamar business classes and the Lamar Synergy club had the opportunity to attend the Offshore Technology Conference with more than
60,000 businessmen and women and 2,000 exhibits from 110 countries. Among the 2,000 exhibits, a few really sparked our interest. We attended the conference last year and
the 3M booth was a must see this year. We were enthralled by their carbon fluoroketone product, especially since a few of our students could name and draw the chemical structure
and explain how and why it worked. We spent an estimate of 45 minutes at the 3M booth watching their demonstration on how their product's gas put out fire and we practically had
to be pulled away in order for us to leave. Another booth that interested us was the enclosed water capsule. This capsule is used to help people escape during any kind of emergency
on a drilling rig. We were shocked to hear a total of 60 full grown men could be safely enclosed inside and that it would have enough oxygen to keep 60 men alive for twenty-four
hours. It was hard for us to grasp that not only could 60 people cram inside such a small closed-in area but also in a matter of seconds.
The only complaint we had about that specific station is we wish we could have been allowed to physically go inside of the capsule. Overall this trip was very fun and educational.
We had a great learning experience and would recommend it for anyone interested in natural oil and gas. Chet Erwin from Valerus spoke to us and inspired us to follow our dreams
no matter what. He explained to us that he started off with nothing and now he has his own growing, successful company. He explained to us that hard work can get you anywhere and
that message really spoke to us. We cannot wait until next year to see the new inventions and discoveries displayed at OTC.
This past weekend, several of us attended a training session for our upcoming IPAA summer externships. The training, led by Ms. Anne Ford, was incredibly helpful to all of
us because we learned and discussed how to act and dress appropriately in an office environment. Much of what we learned, such as using proper table manners, being on time,
and acting in a respectful manner, were things that we were already familiar with, but they were important to discuss again in order to refresh our memories about these common
courtesy practices. Ms. Ford also covered a number of topics that we had never been exposed to due to the fact that we have never worked in an office environment.
Ms. Ford was a great mentor with many insightful tips and personal anecdotes as well. By the end of the session, we definitely felt much more confident about starting our
summer externships at our respective companies.
We feel very grateful and lucky to have the opportunity to extern this summer at some very reputable energy companies. Since 9th grade, we have been exposed to the energy
industry through the business magnet program at Lamar. Whether it was a field trip to Halliburton, a presentation made by a C.E.O. of a major oil company, or attending the
Offshore Trade Conference, we have experienced different aspects of the energy industry. Our interest in the oil and gas industry has heightened due to this exposure,
so being able to extern and experience firsthand what it is like to work at one of these companies is an opportunity that we greatly value. We are all very excited about our
upcoming externships and we cannot wait to start!
We would like to sincerely thank all of the participating companies for investing in this program. It really means a lot to us.
Brittany Ripperger & Farhana Jamal
Lamar High School
