'STEM was always my passion.' Pats player inspires students at Milford's Waters Corp.

MILFORD — Exposure breeds expansion.

That's what Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones told a group of students Tuesday at Waters Corp.

Jones stopped by the laboratory equipment provider's Maple Street corporate headquarters to meet with students attending the Waters Student Academy . While there, he spoke about the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.

“I wanted to do engineering when I got to college,” said Jones, who attended Auburn University. “I ended up doing business, but STEM was always my passion. So I got here in New England, I’ve been here going on nine years, I started my foundation (Next Step Foundation) in 2019. I love sports, but it’s just something about education that my mom just instilled in me.”

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About 30 students are attending Waters Student Academy, a five-week paid summer program. The program provides students who are historically underrepresented in STEM careers with education, exposure and experience to help make the scientific community more representative of society.

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Jones, who has played for the Patriots since 2016, attended an interactive science fair for students, who come from high schools in Boston, Milford and various MetroWest communities. The fair showed students some of the work Waters does, including chromatography and other experiments testing corn for mycotoxins.

Donna Osterman, an analytical chemist, demonstrated chromatography — a process for separating components of a mixture — to students. She told the Daily News it's important for students to get exposed to science education now, so they can hopefully pursue STEM in the future.

"We need to get them into STEM at this age so that hopefully will continue on," Osterman said. "Right now, they're thinking about college and we can give them the information now and direct them."

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Jones, 30, met with students in order to talk about his experiences and motivations. Students got a chance to ask him questions before the science fair. Jones advised them to stay focused.

"I think there’s two parts of that," he said. "Self accountability, that’s waking up every day and looking at that person in the mirror and saying, ‘Hey, I have dreams, I have something that I want to accomplish. But more importantly, it’s the community you surround yourself with.'”

Jones also discussed the Next Step Foundation , which aims to teach practical life applications, encourage professional development and empower youth through education and mentorship, according to the foundation's website.

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Later on Tuesday, Jones sat down with Waters CEO Udit Batra . The two men were able to share their experiences.

Jones explained he got into engineering because his mother was an assistant kindergarten teacher. Consequently, he always knew the value of education.

Batra, for his part, frequently compared the corporate world to the football field. The two men also said that exposing students to education can change their lives.

“I think that is the ambition we have for the students to have basically, to have access to the best, but also have an understanding of practical science," said Batra, who has led Waters for four years.

“I always believe that exposure breeds expansion," Jones said. "Where we can expose kids to the possibilities that it’s hard to become something you don’t know exists, and that’s hard to do. At a young age, the more targets to put in front of you to say, 'Hey, this is possible, this is also possible,' gives you a better opportunity.”

This article originally appeared on The Milford Daily News: 'STEM was always my passion.' Pats player inspires students at Milford's Waters Corp.