Rockwood School District: PIE Career Fair Allows Rockwood Students To Explore A Variety Of Professions Virtually

Press release from the Rockwood School District:

March 17, 2021

​For more than 25 years, Rockwood Partners in Education (PIE) has held an annual career fair that gives every eighth-grader in the district the opportunity to meet with business and industry experts to gain information about potential career paths. This year, with COVID-19 health and safety protocols in place, the fair looked a bit different for the nearly 1,700 Rockwood eighth-grade students.PIE called upon its extensive list of contacts to find experts who could speak in 14 different virtual career panels from March 9-11, with a different time slot each day dedicated to each of the district's six middle schools.The panels covered careers in: animal care services; art and design; business/entrepreneurship; human services; emergency services; engineering and industrial tech; fashion and beauty; health services; law; law enforcement; media and communication; money and banking; scientific research; and computer science. The sessions took a Zoom webinar format, so students could watch presentations from the panelists and submit questions live."The one thing we've noticed over time through our other career-focused events and programs is that you have some students who are laser-focused on a career, but they make up a very small percentage of our entire population," said Emanuel Young, Rockwood's PIE coordinator. "We want to serve all of our students well. As a young person, you're informed by your experiences and relationships. Some of our students have had great experiences or have great relationships that enhance their social capital, but that's not true of every student. Equity, access and opportunity are at the heart of our district's strategic plan, and we want to do our part in PIE by ensuring every students has access to professionals and opportunities to explore career paths of interest."In a normal year, when the career fair is held in person, industry participants are locally based. In this year's virtual format, PIE was able to expand its geographic reach.Panelists ranged from the local – such as homebuilder and Eureka mayor Sean Flower in the engineering and industrial tech session – to the international – such as South Africa-based digital marketer Kenny Soto in the media and communication session."I really enjoyed the (money and banking) panel because the question-and-answers were keeping me interested," said Crestview Middle student Addison Buckley. "​The time in the panel seemed to fly by because of the good conversation. I also liked that the speakers were able to share personal experiences about the money and banking industry that made me consider a career in finance!"Young also said PIE placed a premium o​n a diversity of professions within each session. The art and design panel, for example, included Lafayette High graduate Brian Wade, who turned an interest in art into a job as an architect that designs lighting in structures. One of his firm's latest projects was the Texas Rangers' new stadium."A student may say they want to be a doctor because they enjoy helping people, and that may be the only career they associate with helping people. They may not realize there are 100 other careers out there that may share that same skill set," Young said. "We want to show them there is more than one pathway to success and how different professionals have similar interests but work in different professions."​"I'm just really excited for our students," Young added. "I believe that this could expand their paradigm and introduce them to career opportunities they wouldn't have ordinarily considered. That's our driving passion."

​For more than 25 years, Rockwood Partners in Education (PIE) has held an annual career fair that gives every eighth-grader in the district the opportunity to meet with business and industry experts to gain information about potential career paths. This year, with COVID-19 health and safety protocols in place, the fair looked a bit different for the nearly 1,700 Rockwood eighth-grade students.PIE called upon its extensive list of contacts to find experts who could speak in 14 different virtual career panels from March 9-11, with a different time slot each day dedicated to each of the district's six middle schools.The panels covered careers in: animal care services; art and design; business/entrepreneurship; human services; emergency services; engineering and industrial tech; fashion and beauty; health services; law; law enforcement; media and communication; money and banking; scientific research; and computer science. The sessions took a Zoom webinar format, so students could watch presentations from the panelists and submit questions live."The one thing we've noticed over time through our other career-focused events and programs is that you have some students who are laser-focused on a career, but they make up a very small percentage of our entire population," said Emanuel Young, Rockwood's PIE coordinator. "We want to serve all of our students well. As a young person, you're informed by your experiences and relationships. Some of our students have had great experiences or have great relationships that enhance their social capital, but that's not true of every student. Equity, access and opportunity are at the heart of our district's strategic plan, and we want to do our part in PIE by ensuring every students has access to professionals and opportunities to explore career paths of interest."In a normal year, when the career fair is held in person, industry participants are locally based. In this year's virtual format, PIE was able to expand its geographic reach.Panelists ranged from the local – such as homebuilder and Eureka mayor Sean Flower in the engineering and industrial tech session – to the international – such as South Africa-based digital marketer Kenny Soto in the media and communication session."I really enjoyed the (money and banking) panel because the question-and-answers were keeping me interested," said Crestview Middle student Addison Buckley. "​The time in the panel seemed to fly by because of the good conversation. I also liked that the speakers were able to share personal experiences about the money and banking industry that made me consider a career in finance!"Young also said PIE placed a premium o​n a diversity of professions within each session. The art and design panel, for example, included Lafayette High graduate Brian Wade, who turned an interest in art into a job as an architect that designs lighting in structures. One of his firm's latest projects was the Texas Rangers' new stadium."A student may say they want to be a doctor because they enjoy helping people, and that may be the only career they associate with helping people. They may not realize there are 100 other careers out there that may share that same skill set," Young said. "We want to show them there is more than one pathway to success and how different professionals have similar interests but work in different professions."​"I'm just really excited for our students," Young added. "I believe that this could expand their paradigm and introduce them to career opportunities they wouldn't have ordinarily considered. That's our driving passion."

This press release was produced by the Rockwood School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.