Building more than bridges: St. Paul Park refinery team returns to Math & Science Night

Community News

St. Paul Park, Minnesota, foundation
A large group of volunteers and students stand together for a photo inside a school gymnasium.
More than a dozen employee volunteers from the St. Paul Park refinery took part in this year’s event, the 17th annual at Oltman Middle School.

Key Points

  • Employee volunteers from Marathon Petroleum’s St. Paul Park refinery in Minnesota returned to support Oltman Middle School’s annual Math & Science Night.
  • This marks the 17th consecutive year the refinery has supported the event, leading the popular bridge-building challenge with more than 100 students.
  • Each year, employees work with students to design, build and test bridges as part of a hands-on challenge.

For the 17th year, employees from Marathon Petroleum’s St. Paul Park refinery in Minnesota returned to Oltman Middle School for this year’s Math & Science Night, titled “Genius at Work,” bringing hands-on learning to life for students across the Cottage Grove community.

What started as a small, local effort has grown into a high-energy science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) event that sparks curiosity and builds confidence in the next generation of problem solvers, while also offering a fun, unique experience for refinery employees.

Volunteers and students sit at tables inside a gymnasium, working together on a hands-on project.
St. Paul Park refinery employee volunteers assist with the bridge-building exercise, a longtime highlight of Oltman Middle School’s Math & Science Night.
: A large orange bucket sits on top of a bridge structure inside a school gymnasium.
St. Paul Park refinery’s own Lowell Dixon’s “Rule Bender Bridge” held 55 pounds, taking home the title of “Most Unique” of the night, but it was a student-built bridge that claimed the top prize, holding 137 pounds.

“This was one of the largest and most energetic groups of refinery volunteers I can remember,” said Jeremy Allan, Engineering Manager at the St. Paul Park refinery, who has been involved since the event’s inception. “That kind of support makes a big difference, not just for the students, but for everyone who helps bring the event together.”

At the center of the night is the popular bridge-building challenge, where more than 100 middle school students worked side-by-side with Marathon Petroleum volunteers to design and test structures strong enough to hold weight.

“Math & Science Night gives our students a chance to see STEM in a way that feels real, interactive and fun. Having volunteers from Marathon Petroleum here each year helps bring those lessons to life.”

“Every year, these kids impress us with their creativity and bring something new to the table,” Allan said. “The results were impressive, too. The top student-built bridge held 137 pounds.”

Volunteers helped guide students through the challenge, offering support, encouragement and a few lessons along the way. This year also featured a newly designed test stand, created by Luke Reich, a corrosion engineer at the refinery, adding a fresh new element to the competition.

Two volunteers stand beside a display of student-built bridge designs inside a school gymnasium.
St. Paul Park refinery employees Luke Jacob Pellinen (left) and Luke Reich (right) stand beside completed student bridge designs before the weight-testing portion of the event begins.

“It was so fun seeing the test stand in action and helping make an already engaging experience even more exciting for everyone involved,” Reich said.

Beyond the competition, Math & Science Night continues to play an important role in making STEM feel accessible and exciting, giving students a chance to apply what they’re learning in the classroom in a real-world setting.

“Math & Science Night gives our students a chance to see STEM in a way that feels real, interactive and fun,” said Teresa Willkom, 8th grade Math Teacher at Oltman Middle School. “Having volunteers from Marathon Petroleum here each year helps bring those lessons to life.”

The refinery’s support goes beyond volunteering. In addition to employees giving their time and expertise, the refinery provided a grant to support the event, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to education and future STEM leaders.