Career Day at Area High Schools Gives Students Options for Their Future
It was all about business, careers, and the future for Bolivar Central High School (BCHS) and Middleton High School (MHS) students during their respective Career Day events, which were held on Thursday, September 14, 2023. County businesses, as well as ones from the surrounding area, were on hand to answer questions from students to help them plan for their futures after high school.
“This year, there are a lot more friendly faces and all the students seem to be engaged,” said BCHS senior JaiShaun Smith who agreed the career days are informative. “We have seen some really great colleges, Traveccaa and Blue Mountain. We even have a barber shop. It is amazing!”
Smith, who wants to be a teacher and get a PHD in education psychology, has already made plans after high school to attend Jackson State Community College.
Career Day at both county high schools are events students look forward to each school year. Along with receiving promotional goodie bags from the vendors, students were able to learn about different businesses and career opportunities at those businesses like Southern Express Pharmacy and Foster’s Cosmetology and Barber College. Barber and cosmetology careers have seen a huge growth in the number of people pursuing those professions.
“I have several graduates from Hardeman County. It is a wide-open field. Whatever you want to make out of it, what you put in it is what you get out of it. I’ve got barbers who make almost six figures a year,” said Allen. “The college is a nationally accredited school and also has a cosmetology program. We have financial aid for those who qualify, and students can start as soon as they have a high school diploma.”
Students were able to do virtual job searches with the Transfr Career Exploration simulated hands-on job program that had more than 40 careers from which to choose. There were a variety of hands-on sessions with simulations as a surgical technologist in the operating room, as a broadband tower construction worker climbing a tower to restore power, welding, robotics, manufacturing, and more. Lisa Robinson, who is with the American Job Center and has an office on the TCAT-Whiteville campus, explained more about how the simulations work.
“The simulation gives students a point of view through that job. EMS is a car crash and they have to get somebody out and tend to their wounds. Linemen have to climb a pole and they may realize they don’t like heights. The medical one is a knee surgery that is pretty graphic. It is like they are actually doing the job, which is good for them to help learn if they really want to pursue that career,” said Robinson.
BCHS students Aiden Byrd and Hunter Wilson are seniors this year and although both would like to go to college, they are also considering joining the military. They both enjoy career day and think it is a benefit to students.
“I am just glad the school gives us the opportunities that we need to go further in life to give us a good future to hope for,” said Byrd. “I liked all of the hands on activities they give us to do. People cutting hair, and all of the goodies they hand out. My plan is to attend TCAT – Jackson for welding and my back up plan is to go into the Army.”
“It shows a lot of good opportunities and there are a lot of options. There are a bunch of opportunities and you do not have to necessarily go to college,” said Wilson. “I think I want to weld, but the military (Marines) is still in my head.”
BCHS academic counselor Catania Minter held a Career Day at BCHS last school year and has in the past several years. She wants to prepare students for the many opportunities now open to them after high school. Minter believes bringing businesses and colleges onto the campus “opens the students eyes to what is out there”.
“What they can see, they feel like that is what they can be. Being able to meet with the colleges and universities and having that one-on-one conversation with them and helping them to get admissions for post secondary opportunities,” said Minter, who has seen a positive shift in the career market over the years. “Ten years ago, we were not thinking about making a living off of utilizing a computer videoing ourselves. A lot of our students are computer savvy. Though our moms and grandmothers took us to the beauty shop, now hair weave, dreads, and braiding are booming business. They can become licensed right here in high school and can make money in a variety of professions.”
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