Why is STEM relevant to me?

Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) education is important to me as a future English teacher because if my students don't have proper reading comprehension and writing skills, they can't go on to pursue careers in any of those fields. I attended a conference recently at South Alabama about these subjects and the importance of emphasizing them in the curriculum. One of the speakers pointed out that in the United States we expect everyone to read, but when it comes to math, some people just "don't have the gift." It's completely inexcusable that we take this attitude towards this side of the curriculum in our schools. We should push our students hard so that our country can remain a world leader. The way to do this is to emphasize STEM learning in schools and it starts with giving students a passion for the subjects and the proper tools to succeed in them.