Career explorers
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on March 4, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Kelisia Darden, 14, from Dillard Middle School, smiles while trying on a flight mask with help from Capt. Andrew Shefter and other members of the 336th Fighter Squadron at the Middle School Career Fair Tuesday.
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
From left, Crystal Walker, EMS instructor at Wayne Community College, and Kim Boswell, EMS coordinator at WCC, teach Cameron Merrill, 14, of Norwayne Middle and other students how to check the pulse of a Sim mannequin used in paramedic class. The EMS booth was just one of more than 75 tables for students to visit at the Middle School Career Fair held at the Family YMCA .
More than 1,400 eighth-graders converged at the YMCA on Tuesday to explore possible answers to the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
The sixth annual Middle School Career Fair was hosted by Wayne Education Network, which is part of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce.
It was moved from February to March this year because of the scheduling problems of 2014. Last year the fair was canceled twice due to inclement weather.
The demographic of students is also different.
"We changed to eighth-graders instead of seventh grade," said Karen Burnette, one of the event organizers.
"There is a twofold reason for that -- first, they didn't go as seventh-graders, so this gives them a chance to experience the career fair. The second reason is that eighth-graders are now in the process of determining their high school pathway.
"This career fair should be fresh in their minds as they work with their teachers and counselors to complete the registration paperwork for classes in high school."
Seventy-five vendors were posted around the Y gymnasium representing an array of career options -- from Sheetz to Duke Progress Energy to law enforcement and the military.
Instead of years past, when students' choices were narrowed down in advance of their arrival, youth had the opportunity to make stops at each booth.
"There may be something they have never even thought of, and we want them to explore," Ms. Burnette said.
Brogden Middle School classmates Mary Edwards, Mary Kaija and Sh'Vila Raiford compared notes about their preferences.
"I like Avon," Miss Kaija said.
"And I want to be a fashion designer," Miss Raiford said.
"I want to be a model," chimed in Miss Edwards. "But always have a fallback plan, and that's a lawyer."
Matthew Morton from Spring Creek Middle School enjoyed sitting in front of a "green screen" at the Wayne County Public Schools Cable Channel 18 booth.
But when he stepped away and prepared for his next stop, he admitted his career aspirations were elsewhere.
"Law," he said.
He has a few more years before settling on a specialty area, so he was using the career fair as a chance to look around and figure things out, he said.
Some knew going in what fields appealed to them and were there for confirmation.
Casandra Pearsall from Brogden Middle had been thinking about the Air Force, but was surprised to learn about the "different jobs" she could pursue. She said she might want to be a firefighter.
To solidify her interest and experience, she said she plans to participate in Junior ROTC when she gets to high school.
Classmates Taleshia Lanier and Jade Matthewson shared a common interest in health care, particularly pediatrics, as they like working with children.
"It takes eight years," Taleshia discovered, admitting she still wants to do it.
Some booths could be viewed as a hobby or a career path.
"There are some around here that do it for a living, but we do it for a hobby," said George Worrell, manning the Beekeepers of the Neuse booth.
"Are there bees in here?" one student asked as she approached.
No worries, he said. There were no bees in the white wooden boxes he brought for display.
But even if there were, he explained, they are very docile creature, unless provoked.
"I want to be a beekeeper," said Taylor Tittle as she arrived at the booth.
The Spring Creek student was joined by her classmate, Samantha Tusing, whose grandfather, Bo Mervin, actually got Worrell interested in beekeeping.
Samantha was partial to a career in the military, she said.
"The military and the K-9 unit," Taylor said.
The career fair proved to beneficial, she said afterward.
"It like put me on the right track of what I want to do," she said.
Nearby, Max Hooks, a sophomore at Charles B. Aycock, gave a demonstration of the PVC car built by students in the school's Engineering Academy and fielded questions from potential future students in the program.
"They ask questions about when they built this and what else we've done in the program," he said.
"I think what's best about it," Max said. "We're showing them, yes, it's a lot of math to it but we still have a lot of fun with it and have a good time."
Steven Thorne, academy director since it started eight years ago, has participated in the career fair every year, he said.
It is a valuable tool for promoting the program, which remains a popular option at CBA.
"My numbers are always full," he said. "I have got so many kids we actually have to do a lottery pick to get in the class."