Education Grant WinnerAngelena Watkins

Engineering is a world left unknown to most middle school students. There are classes in school where it can help foster that curiosity for them, though. The hard part is, do they have the resources to experience this world? Oftentimes, schools lack the funds to incorporate engineering and design elements to their classrooms.

Angelena Watkins, educator at Judson Middle School, saw a future in engineering through STEM-related activities for her students, but she needed the funds to integrate valuable tools for them to drive that potential. Thanks to Power of the Dollar® members, she was awarded a $1,000 grant in December 2025 for her “Bridging Theory and Applications: Laser Engraving Tools for Future Engineers” project idea, which she then used the grant funds to purchase a laser engraver and an ample amount of basswood from Glowforge!

“When I went to convocation, they handed out y’all’s calendar and it had the grant winners, and I was like, ‘Hey, I’m a Firstmark member!’” said Watkins. “I knew our Power of the Dollar® membership went to something, but I was so enthralled with it that I didn’t even think what it went to! I saw the grant and said, ‘Oh, ok, that’s just about the amount I need to get the laser engraver!’ I was always asking for one and finally was able to purchase it from Glowforge itself.”

Since Ms. Watkins has brought the laser engraver to her classroom, her students have been excited as ever to jump right into using it! Creating precise, custom designs, students are combining their knowledge from various subjects, such as math, history, art, etc., and are transferring it into their engineering/STEM projects. Her students’ level of interest has skyrocketed, and a handful of ‘em want to potentially pursue this as a career down the road. The impact has exceeded expectations and students have been more engaged than ever before.

“Every project we do is collaboration, but anytime I give them a project that isn’t just digital, and they actually get to make something and see what they can make with their hands, or what they can make with the 3D printer or Glowforge [laser engraver], they just want to do it all the time,” she said. “They always want to do those projects. Anytime they get to see the physical tangibility of what they get to make is when they actually are 100% invested!”