Fredonia Engineering Students Experience ASU Manufacturing day

By Lumen Cristy Ihong
Fredonia High School’s Engineering CTE class made its second educational trip to Phoenix to participate in Arizona State University’s Manufacturing Day 2026. While this marked the class’s second trip to Phoenix, it was their first opportunity to attend and participate in ASU Manufacturing Day.
On the afternoon of September 30, 2026, five students, their teacher, Mr. Juvyl Ihong, and chaperone Cory Olson left Fredonia for the event.
The following morning, October 1, the group joined other CTE students at ASU. After a welcome session at the Aravaipa Auditorium, students were divided into groups and rotated through four different stations. Each station lasted approximately 40 minutes, with a 10-minute walk between rotations and a lunch break during the day.
At the Industry Expo in Cooley Ballroom B/C, students explored different areas of manufacturing and connected the industry to what they are learning in their Engineering CTE classroom. At ISTB12, the Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12, they experienced a university setting where science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing come together.
Students also participated in an open discussion and interactive presentation with manufacturing professionals. The speakers answered questions and shared their experiences in manufacturing, engineering, education, and career pathways, giving students a firsthand look at opportunities beyond high school.
The final station focused on robotics, where students explored how engineering, programming, automation, and manufacturing work together to solve real-world problems.
The trip gave students from Fredonia the opportunity to visit a major university, interact with industry professionals, explore advanced technology, and see how their classroom skills could lead to college programs, technical training, and careers in engineering and manufacturing. Experiences like this help students connect classroom learning to the real world and begin imagining what may be possible for their futures.
A special thank you goes to the Fredonia-Moccasin Unified School District for supporting this educational opportunity and continuing to provide meaningful Career and Technical Education experiences. Thank you also to Mr. Juvyl Ihong for connecting his students with real-world learning and to Cory Olson for accompanying and supporting the group as chaperone.
The five students returned to Fredonia with new knowledge, experiences, and ideas about their futures. Their second educational trip to Phoenix provided another valuable opportunity to take learning beyond the classroom and experience engineering and technology in the real world.