On November 5th, Telecom Trailblazers welcomed over 40 high school students from across the San Francisco Bay Area for an immersive day at the Verizon Edge and AI Innovation Lab. Students gained hands-on exposure to telecommunications, IoT, and AI technologies shaping the way the world communicates and operates.

The event was generously sponsored by American Tower and hosted by Verizon, giving students unique access to industry leaders through engaging panels:

Fireside Chat: How AI & Connectivity Power Our World Moderated by Lynn Whitcher (Executive Directors of Programs, Telecom Trailblazers), featuring Eric McClanahan (Verizon) and Zain Admani (Inorsa). Panelists discussed practical applications of AI, from real-time data analysis to network optimization and highlighted the critical role of connectivity in powering smart cities, IoT devices, and emerging technologies.

Career Pathways Panel Discussion Moderated by Taylor Weltmeyer-Sierra (WWLF Vice President), with panelists Jessica Turner (American Tower), Talisha Germain (RF Industries / WWLF), and Jennifer Winters (Motive Infrastructure / WWLF) sharing insights on career opportunities in telecom, technology, and infrastructure.

Students also explored an immersive lab experience, working with cutting-edge technologies like private 5G, real-time AI inference, robotics, and AR/VR, seeing firsthand how modern communication networks operate and how AI optimizes infrastructure workflows.

Telecom Trailblazers continues its mission to educate, inspire, and connect the next generation of innovators, providing students from diverse backgrounds with early exposure to the telecommunications and technology industries.

The next event will be held at the Verizon Policy Lab in Washington, DC, on February 18th, 2026.

Get Involved: Interested in participating, hosting, or sponsoring a Telecom Trailblazers event? Contact Talisha Germain & Lynn Whitcher, Executive Directors of Programs, at telecomtrailblazers@wwlf.org.