In an article published in the Sanford Herald, Senior Project Manager of the Education Division at Matern Professional Engineering, Dorian Maness, reveals the growing STEM education gap. He emphasizes the need for more STEM programs as the workforce demand in Florida continues to increase. We started paving the way to fulfill this need through our expansive 2025 STEM internship program that offers students a unique, hands-on opportunity that goes beyond the classroom.
Dorian Maness, who leads the internship program, explains, ‘I really believe in the human aspect of internship programs, and one thing I aimed to instill in this cohort of interns is the importance of communication in addition to the technical engineering skills.’ ”
The intern experience provided experience through a balance of interpersonal and analytical skills, and access to industry-standard technology tools. Students had a host of insightful projects, including the opportunity to inspect elevator shaft lighting systems, analyze HVAC duct designs, and research national code compliance.
“Matern Professional Engineering Human Resources Manager Stephen Pearson, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, said he is seeing the importance of engineers in the local community, especially as AI removes the human element from processes. ‘While AI can speed up calculations and automate routine tasks, engineering is fundamentally about solving complex, real-world problems—and that still requires human judgment, creativity, and collaboration,’ Pearson said. ‘AI is a tool, not a replacement. The future needs more engineers, not fewer.’”