What Do I Want to Be When I Grow Up?

When looking at children, one can’t help wonder what their futures will hold and what they will grow up to be.

The goal of the Rumson School District’s Career Day was to get students to think about their futures and to “begin this path they will begin to follow in high school and then really pursue in college,” said Lauren Bennett, the event organizer and an eighth-grade science teacher at Forrestdale Middle School.

In Bennett’s opinion, the day was successful. “Our presenters really helped to illuminate to our kids that there are many career options out there, and the representative careers today may set some of our students into motion,” she said.

Numerous professions were represented at Career Day. There was a lawyer, a nurse, an inventor, a newspaper sports editor, an actress/comedienne and an equity salesperson. Students also met a patent attorney, a Wall Street engineer and a police officer. Also on hand to discuss their careers were a doctor who specializes in prosthetic limbs, a golf course manager, an Olympic rugby coach, an EMS worker, and Swat team members for state troopers.

If the enthusiasm of the children shows the career path they plan on taking, there may be a lot of students headed into law enforcement. Bennett said that the biggest buzz from students centered on the SWAT team. “These two State Troopers brought in a selection of weapons that are routinely used. They also detailed events that would lead to the use of such weapons, which is always enthralling to children,” Bennett said. “I did hear many comments afterwards about an interest in law enforcement.”

The children, curious about the different careers presented to them, asked the presenters specific questions about their jobs. Some kids even inquired, according to Bennett, about the worst days on the job. The Career Day spanned the morning of the school day and was aimed at eighth graders, though some seventh-grade volunteers were on hand to help with the event.

Tami Horan of the Forrestdale 8th grade Parent Teacher Organization was also co-organizer of the event. She and Bennett worked on the plans for Career Day since October. Horan made up gift bags for all the professional attendees, and supplied coffee, water, salads and sandwiches. "I think through her actions, our volunteers felt that much more appreciated," said Bennett.

The presenters left with smiles on their faces, and Bennett said that it is “a fantastic sign.” In addition, “they also were impressed with the questions asked by our eighth graders, and that made them feel good.”

Indeed, it will also make the presenters feel good if their presence at the Career Day yesterday helped in some way to help pave the career path of even one student.