When KC Jensen changed his mind about becoming a patent attorney, he knew he wanted “an actual job in science.”
His passion for science, technology, engineering and math was what prompted him to change his major to mechanical engineering. But more and more often, the University of Utah sophomore gets a fresh realization that it was a step in the right direction.
“No one ever came to my high school to explain the STEM thing. I didn’t really understand what kind of opportunities there were for science and math,” Jensen said. “I think it’s really important. You don’t want to waste your time in a degree where there’s no potential for work after.”
The STEM thing, as Jensen calls it, is affording more opportunities for students than Utah’s colleges and universities can keep up with, opening up thousands of high-paying jobs in the state every year.
Technology is an especially fast-growing sector of Utah’s economy, with more than 5,000 companies and 70,000 jobs that contribute almost 10 percent of Utah’s revenue from payroll and property taxes, according to Richard Nelson, president and CEO of the Utah Technology Council.