Junior High students perused tables manned by lawyers, doctors, engineers and FBI agents at the 10th annual Career Fair.
JH guidance counselor Ms. Tamara Stein organized the fair, held Dec. 2 in the gym, for the first time. She said she enjoyed the fair because “Junior High students are getting to that age where they are discovering who they are.” She also said she hopes this fair will guide them into making the decision on what they want to do as adults. All seventh graders attended the fair during first hour, and eighth graders during second. Just before leaving for the fair, students were asked to write down a “career inventory,” so they had an idea of what they might want to do for a living.
“I like the fact that the students are getting exposed to different careers, and I think they can really get something out of it,” Stein said. The students were given guided questions to ask the volunteers, such as what qualifications do you need for specific professions.
While setting up the fair, Ms. Stein found that about half of the volunteers who presented their careers were parents of JH students. One of these parents was Dr. Jonathan Masel, a urologist with Memorial Healthcare Hospitals. At his table, students were able to simulate kidney stone removal with tools and a television displaying the process. “The kids seem to be really excited about all the opportunities they have,” Masel said. Some of the advice he gave to students explained the 11 to 14 years they would have to spend in school to become a surgeon, and the intellectual and technical skills they would be able to learn in the process.
Students left the gym with information packets, answered questions and, Ms. Stein hopes, an idea of what they want to be.
