Avondale High School hosts Career and College Fair

Avondale High School sophomores gathered valuable information and received guidance about potential careers at the school’s Career and College Fair. Professionals from 45 different career paths met face-to-face with the students to talk about everything from what type of post-high school education is required in specific fields to describing their average day on the job. The students had the opportunity to talk to people from a variety of industries including health care, technology, education, finance, sales and marketing. In addition, students met with lawyers, architects, millwrights, engineers, designers, electricians and reporters. “The event was a great opportunity for our students to explore a variety of career paths through individual discussions with professionals in their fields of interest,” said event co-coordinator, Andrew Maurer. “Our hope is that students begin to think about the careers they are interested in so that as they make college visits next year as juniors they can ask specific questions about the programs associated with their career choices.”

For the presenters, the event provided a chance to meet with students for a candid conversation about the realities of their career choices. Many of the presenters shared how important they felt the event was in terms of helping guide the students. In addition to talking to the students about their areas of expertise, they also engaged the students in discussions about the importance of developing the soft skills that will help them succeed including having a strong work ethic, being professional, being organized and paying attention to details.

“The presenters gave great insight into what they do on a daily basis in their jobs,” said tenth grader Joyce Yu. Yu was impressed by the number of fields represented during the expo, “It was a great experience learning about so many career choices in just one day.”

In addition to the professions represented at the event, college representatives were on hand to help students understand the many post-high school educational opportunities there are to help them achieve their career goals. Oakland University, Central Michigan University, Baker College, Hillsdale College, Oakland Community College and Wayne State University were some of the colleges present to field questions from the students. Maurer, who facilitates Career and Technical Education and Career Focused Education for Avondale School District, knows that any career plan should have a component of post-high school education. “We wanted the Fair to present multiple directions for continued education after graduation. If our students want to reach their goals then they have to consider getting additional training, certifications or degrees.”

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