Dream Differently ─ Candid Advice for America's Students

To get the most out of your college education, you need to choose your classes wisely -- and increasingly, that means choosing STEM. Today's job seekers should have at least a basic understanding of trigonometry and other science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. By 2018, jobs in STEM fields are expected to grow at a rate nearly double those of other fields -- 18 percent versus 9.8 percent. An estimated 1.2 million STEM jobs will go unfilled because the workforce will not possess the skills to fill them.

The purpose of this book is not to push you into a STEM career; it is simply to provide you with information and perspective, as well as a few questions that, if answered honestly, will help you plot out an educational and career pathway that will help you achieve your dreams.

Vince M. Bertram Ed.D. is president and CEO of Project Lead the Way (PLTW), which seeks to bring real-world learning to K-12 classrooms. During a 20-year career in secondary education, Vince earned his Master of Education, Specialist in Education, and Doctor of Education degrees, and served as a principal, assistant superintendent, and finally superintendent of Indiana’s third-largest urban school district. In 2014, the U.S. Department of State named Vince as the education expert for its United States Speaker and Specialist Program. He was appointed by Governor Mike Pence to serve on the Indiana State Board of Education, and he serves on the Olin College of Engineering President’s Council. Former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels named Vince a “Distinguished Hoosier,” and his colleagues at the Harvard Graduate School of Education honored him with the “Intellectual Contributions and Faculty Tribute” award for his contributions to the intellectual life at the university. The Milwaukee School of Engineering honored Vince with an honorary doctoral degree in 2013.?Vince has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives, is a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post and other national publications, and in November 2014, became a New York Times bestselling author with his book, "One Nation Under-Taught: Solving America’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Crisis."