This year, Phoenix Military Academy (PMA)  had significant changes.  One of the negative changes is having no music program whatsoever.  However, Phoenix gave birth to a new opportunity: engineering. As some of the students might recall from last year, the Pentagon donated $6 million for Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) grant. With this money PMA has created a new engineering lab that contains various sources of equipment, such as a 3D printer, for the underclassmen to enjoy.  Mr. Boehm, the engineering teacher, is eager to help young minds take the next step into the engineering field.

Mr. Bohem grew up in Chicago and attended as  a Chicago Public School for quite sometime before transferring to another school in the suburbs. He has always been a hard worker..

“ I was a good deal ahead of my suburban classmates in reading and math coming out of the Chicago Public School system,” said Mr. Bohem.

As Mr. Bohem grew older he became an  civil engineer and quickly dove into that career field.

“I’ve worked 28 years mostly locally as a civil engineer and have held positions with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Lake County, Illinois, and consulting engineering firms that have ranged from two-person companies to companies with more than 1,000 employees,” said Mr. Bohem

Mr. Bohem is a very successful man, working for big businesses. Not only has he worked for big companies stated above, he runs his own business.

“I have my own consulting business, Greg Boehm Engineering, and may continue contracting if I’m ever not teaching or training during the summer.  My specialty is stormwater and floodplain management,” said Mr Bohem.

But for now, Mr. Bohem has taken a different route in the career path. He became a teacher. One of his main reasons for becoming a teacher is to help people start careers solving problems.

“Really, an engineer’s job is to solve problems,” said Mr. Bohem.

He really wants to introduce students to the STEM career field. He believes the country is doing the right thing by introducing students to the complexity and practical side of engineering at a young age.

He may be an engineer, but his life isn’t always about complex work.  A lot of it has to do with helping others and teamwork. He used to coach teams that he or his son played on.“I have enjoyed coaching sports, mostly baseball and softball, for teams that my children have played on and that I’ve played on.  It’s a real honor to yell at other people’s children, and more seriously, to give them a chance to get excited about learning, working together, and achieving,” said Mr. Bohem.

Mr. Bohem came to PMA to give opportunities to kids interested in the engineering field.

Engineering is not an easy career.  This is because it takes time and effort to accomplish the mission.  

“Engineering is a terrific subject for high school students, in my opinion, but it requires students who are committed to studying and working together.  I feel like this is a really good situation for both me as a teacher and the students,” said Mr. Bohem.

He seems to be thrilled about being at PMA. He states that the students at PMA are hard workers, and good team players. He finds the teachers to be a really helpful resource. Since he has not been in a classroom for quite some time, and has never been a teacher before, he finds himself asking teachers and instructors for help very often.

“I am grateful for the guidance, support, and community of the teachers at Phoenix.  I am a huge fan of both Dr. Mares and Mr. Wipachit.  It is no mistake that Phoenix has become a great high school with their leadership,” said Mr. Bohem.

Mr. Boehm will continue to teach his students with motivation. Although he is new to PMA, he has earned the title of a firebird!

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