Two days ago, on March 5, students at Aragon were given the opportunity to explore a vast array of jobs and professions. Offered every two years, Career Day enables students to explore career fields in which they may be interested. This year, Career Day was adjusted in several ways.
Career Day was coordinated by co-chairs Sue Blockstein and Michele Bronstein. Says Blockstein, “The first thing is that we tried to get different speakers. Even if we were using the same professions, we tried to get different speakers. Last time, the doctors were the same as they were two years prior to that, so we wanted to bring new ones… around 80 percent of the speakers are new.”
In order to select the presenters, the career day committee reviewed the 2011 student evaluations. “We used personal connections from the co-chair and myself and we ask people we know and things like that,” says Blockstein.
In addition to new presenters, the planners decided to take a different approach on assigning students to the professionals. This year, students were asked to indicate their preferred presenters via a Google Docs form available through SchoolLoop.
Blockstein says, “I hope that they get a chance to see a career they’re interested in and just learn about it. I hope they get some ideas about opportunities and to see what it’s like.”
Based upon the students’ responses submitted via Google Docs, the Aragon Outlook highlighted seven presenters with greater popular demand:
Alicia Petrakis, chef and co-owner of the Astaria Restaurant, shared with students how she got involved in the food industry and did a demo with former Aragon student, Reynaldo Montes. Many Aragon students were interested in this profession, and Petrakis says, “It is something most everyone can relate to: food. Everyone goes out to eat, and most young people end up working in some type of food establishment while in school.”
Video game developer Kristina Tomalesky lent insight on the entertainment industry. She says, “There are few jobs that require fun as part of their day to day focus. Defining that fun is one of the hardest but most rewarding parts of working in game development. I believe that desire to create something fun is why so many people are drawn to and interested in joining the industry… production as a discipline fits within the larger body of game development.”
Dr. Eric Morgenthaler, a clinical psychologist, informed students about the educational requirements needed to become a psychologist. Morgenthaler says, “Psychology as a field is the study of human behavior. As such it relates to how we as individuals act, think, and feel. Clinical psychologists diagnose and treat mental illness, problems in living, and problematic behavior.”
Morgenthaler stressed the specifics of his individual practice, which is the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, behavioral disorders and neurocognitive disorders. He concludes, “Many people are interested in helping others and clinical psychology is a helping profession.”
Photographer Pat Johnson returned to Aragon to present a few portfolios of his work. Johnson says that “with the proper motivation, you can be anything you want to be, including a photographer, without being born wealthy.”
Alger Chapman, a pediatrician, covered all the different aspects and responsibilities of being a pediatrician. Chapman says, “I hope students will get a practical idea of what’s involved in being a pediatrician and how one gets there. I assume most students have seen a doctor and have an idea of the work environment but may not know the broader picture and day to day aspects of being a pediatrician.”
He adds, “More importantly, if they are interested in this kind of career, I hope to give an idea of what they can do to make it possible and encourage them to pursue their passion and not be dissuaded if they are not a 4.0+ GPA student and valedictorian.” Regarding why students find careers in pediatrics appealing, Chapman says, “It is fulfilling to be helping others, especially children, and at the same time be able to make a reasonable living.”
Digital Artist Megan Mendelson showed students how she found her way into visual effects. Mendelson says, “It’s hard not to get a little thrill from the thought of working in movies, plus visual effects is really where all the ‘magic’ happens—where would Harry Potter be without his wand, right?”
Says Mendelson, “[I hope] students will leave the presentation with a better idea of how many different people and skills it takes to get these movies made.” Mendelson concludes, “Designing and creating beautiful and fantastical images for the world to see is a wonderful way to spend the day, and though it can be hard work and long hours, you can see the results of your efforts quite clearly.”
Finally, Joel Dabisch delineated the career of an FBI Special Agent. Dabisch explains why his career was many of the students’ top selection, saying, “This popularity also come from the fact that FBI agents are often portrayed on television as working in an exciting, fast-paced world, solving the most serious of crimes, including terrorist acts, kidnappings and bank robberies, usually in an hour or less. I want to ensure that students contemplating a career in the FBI realize that the FBI they see on television and in the movies is often very different from the FBI that exists in reality; while a career as an FBI Special Agent is certainly exciting at times, it also requires hard work, attention to detail, patience, creativity and, most of all, integrity.”
