Tom Stueve ’89 has to be one the most encouraging and empowering teachers in the entire state of Oregon.
作为本德三一路德学校的科学老师, he has built a far-reaching science program which launches students into college and, later, graduate schools and sends them to national science competitions for their innovative projects. As a theater practitioner, 他帮助在学校开设了一个戏剧课程, 让学生负责所有的技术方面.
“Tom is one of those people who helps others reach places that seemed far beyond their reach,” says Gregg Pinick, Trinity’s head of school. “他是我们毕业生的最爱. 但最重要的是，他爱主，是一个出色的丈夫和父亲.”
Arguably, Stueve’s biggest impact has come through the Oregon Solar Car Team he founded in 2007, 其中高中生设计, construct, 并且操作功能齐全, solar-powered racing car. The team comprised of Trinity students competes annually in the Solar Car Challenge, this year placing third at the national competition by traveling more than 500 miles in 327 laps around the Texas Motor Speedway. 学生加入团队不需要有任何经验.
Early in his time at Trinity, “我一直在寻找一种具有挑战性的实践团队建设活动, 我们的教员中有几个人来自阿德莱德, Australia, 从达尔文到阿德莱德的比赛,” Stueve says. 他提到了太阳能汽车，然后写了补助金. 我和他一起去了德州接受训练.”
That introduction has led to nearly 14 years of empowering students to build full-size cars from aluminum and now carbon fiber. The team’s current car is covered with solar cells which pull power from the sun, store it in batteries, and use it to run the car.
“这不是一个工具包，”史蒂夫强调. “你从头开始设计汽车. It incorporates everything. 我的人知道怎么做最难的焊接. They welded the entire frame.”
His students are now soldering the solar array cell by cell before taking it to San Jose where a company will help them “encapsulate” the cells.
“学生们做所有的决定,” Stueve says, for example, 从铝制车身转向碳纤维车身. 正如该团队在其官方网站上宣布的那样, “We are not afraid to put our victory on the line in the name of pushing the envelope for what is possible. We have, and will continue to, prioritize scientific advancement over our sure victory.”
每个太阳能汽车年的顶峰是为期四天, 每天八小时的德州赛车场比赛.
“这是一场马拉松，不是短跑，”史蒂夫说. “谁跑的圈数最多，谁就是赢家.”
今年，比赛从福特堡开始进行越野比赛. 前往加州帕姆代尔，并在爱德华兹空军基地参加颁奖宴会. Students describe the race as “one of the best things they’ve ever done,” Stueve says. “这让他们成为非凡的问题解决者.”
今年队里的六名大四学生将进入工程专业, at Virginia Tech University, California Baptist University, George Fox University, and Gonzaga University. Jobs and internships also open up for team members through the network of companies that support the team, Stueve says.
史蒂夫对开创新事物的热情是在路德教会的教育中培养出来的, 从蒙罗维亚开始，他在拉文的路德教会高中上学. 他在学生时代就开始了学校的戏剧课程, 虽然他接受的完全是路德教的教育, 他的目标是在最简陋的公立学校教书. To that end, he accepted a president’s scholarship (a full ride) to Christ College and “had an awesome time there, made great friends, 把我的两个儿子都送到了那里.”
While studying biochemistry, 他一头扎进了学校“非常丰富的戏剧课程”，并在节目中表演, worked on lights, and built set pieces. He met Heather Halm ’88, whom he would later marry, 当时她是《博彩平台网址大全》的副导演兼女主角. 汤姆正在扮演一个拿着剑的愤怒的哥哥，并帮助搭建布景.
Stueve graduated with a degree in natural science and a minor in theatre (his senior showcase was an outdoor one-act play in a two-story set he constructed). 1989年与希瑟结婚后, 她被叫去波特兰康考迪亚大学教书, 当汤姆“希望去东L”的时候.A.他在波特兰地区教了12年书.
“The last two schools were what I was going for: underfunded, tough schools to be in,” he says. “即使我在公立学校工作的时候, 我一直认为这是一个事工，因为它是关于感动孩子们的生活. I can do that in a very open way now and be very much a part of their faith life [at Trinity]. We have small group Bible studies and I get to be a mentor to young men and help them figure out some of their stuff they need to mature. 在公立学校，我也是这样做的，但方式不同.”
Just as he was appointed director of the biotech magnet of Portland Public Schools, Heather was called to serve in the Concordia University Education Network (CUEnet), 所以这对夫妇穿过喀斯喀特来到本德. By this time, 汤姆获得了分子生物学和生物化学的硕士学位, 在他们的新地点，他开始在三一学院教书, 这所学校现在大约有100名高中生.
Over the years he built what Pinick calls “one of the finest high school science programs in the state of Oregon” in which “his students receive local, state, and national recognition.”
越界进入艺术领域, Stueve also became part of a team that created a theater program — and put students in charge of virtually everything technical as they produce annual middle school and high school musicals.
“我们教孩子们做任何事，”他说. “They fashion props, make set pieces, do lights and sound, and all the technical skills.”
因为他们的实践训练, Stueve’s theater graduates later ply their skills professionally and in volunteer capacities at churches and concert venues.
“这是因为我们让他们触摸东西，”他说. “在公立学校，通常是一个成年人在主持这个节目. Kids run our shows. They decide when it starts. Everything. That’s my biggest thing. 如果你能赋予孩子力量，他们就会充满自信. They can do anything.”
整个剧院项目在一个健身房和两个集装箱内完成.
“我们用空气变出东西，”史蒂夫笑着说. 戏剧团队的成年人都有康科迪亚的血统. Tom serves as technical director; Heather is director; Erin Cowan ’19 is vocal director; and Jon Vevia is producer. Then there is the local science fair which Stueve started and handed off to another organization to run. It qualifies students to participate in the International Science and Engineering Fair, and this year — again — one of Stueve’s students qualified to go to the international competition where $30 million in prizes are given away. This student trained an artificial intelligence program to identify various forms of skin cancer on darker skin, 并为此开发了一个应用程序，它可以作为一种低成本的筛查工具. 史蒂夫的所有理工科学生都必须为当地的博览会提交一个项目.
“My philosophy of education is preparing kids for jobs that don’t exist yet,” he says. “我希望孩子们能够做到这一切，因为这就是我所做的, 我认为这有助于培养一个全面发展的人. In theater and in solar car, they are learning how to collaborate and communicate and solve problems really well, 如何学习他们不知道的东西.”
Back in the solar car realm, 一项重大任务是建立一个遥测系统, 实时获取汽车的性能数据. 这就要求学生们学会汽车是如何数字化地“说话”的. They also learn computer languages like Python so they can program the car’s computer.
一些团队成员“几乎不碰汽车”，但却在经营业务, develop relationships, and bring in finances. Some handle social media, 但当他们参加比赛的时候, 所有的团队成员都知道关于赛车的一切.
真正的团队合作始于汽车坏掉的时候，“它一定会坏掉的，”史蒂夫说. 然后他们必须想办法解决这个问题. That’s the joy, when they figure out what put them on the side of the road and then fix it — that’s the bonding moment.”
史蒂夫获得了康科迪亚公司2023年杰出服务奖, presented to an individual based on significant contributions through service to his or her community, church, school and/or alma mater.
“Tom is an integral part of Trinity’s ministry and the Bend and Central Oregon communities,” says Pinick. “他是一个以学生为本的服务型领导. He has created opportunities for our students to go beyond their dreams by placing them in situations where they can get hands-on experience. He guides our students to discover solutions that they may not have ventured to attempt on their own. 他是建筑大师和设计思维专家. 他自愿加入我们的技术团队. 他以自己的时间、才华和财富为榜样，慷慨大方.”
对史蒂夫来说，他最自豪的是提高学生的自信心.
“这是你要带走的一大块. It’s something I felt when I was in drama as an undergraduate at Christ College and tried out for a show as a freshman,” he says. “Part of what I love about teaching at a small Lutheran school is that it’s not about what exists but what you want to exist. 你只需要让它发生.”