BFMS Gets Students to Think Early about Future Careers

Eighth-graders at participated in a career expo on Monday designed to help them identify their personal strengths and interests in order to begin to think about possible careers in the future.

Students learned about various college majors – specifically those in science, technology, engineering and math – and about skills that employers find attractive.

A dozen professionals from the community also were present for the two-hour event and led small groups to discuss their careers and answer any questions the students had.

The panel of professionals featured many BFMS alumni in careers that included a retail manager, dentist, veterinarian, surgeon, TV journalist, aerospace engineer, nutritional educator, sports agent, marketing manager, data-forensic consultant, pilot and entrepreneur.

BFMS guidance counselor Eve Klein spearheaded this year’s event.

“I want students to see the relationship in what they’re currently doing in school and what their future can look like,” Klein said. “I also want students to get a sense of what the top-earning careers are and how the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) occupations fit into that.”

Pilot Jelani Kelley told the students that he started to get curious about aviation at their age and was reading aviation regulations and private pilot manuals during study labs.

“The sooner your interests peak, the sooner you can start to develop the skill sets required for whatever it is you want to do,” he said.

Veterinarian Antoinette Bush, who also teaches science at , said the day was special to her because she attended a BFMS career fair when she was younger, and there was a veterinarian who spoke to the students.

“I noticed when I was 11 that I wanted to become a veterinarian,” Bush said. “I never changed my mind.”

Phil Herman is a manager of marketing projects for a pharmaceutical and biotech industry in Hackensack. He told the students that his current career diverts from what he actually studied for in college.

“You’re not necessarily always going to know the exact path you’re going to take,” he said. “The most important thing that you can do is to make sure that whatever you do you work hard at it, you believe in yourself, you have confidence in yourself and you rely on yourself as you move toward new goals in your future.”

Small-business owner Gregg Arsenuk owns Guerilla Fitness in Montclair. Before opening his business, he worked in finance on Wall Street for 12 years.

“I hope I can impart on these students at a young age that sometimes a career isn’t only about chasing money,” he said prior to the event. “I’m gaining far more wealth on this path by doing something that I love.”

When it was his time to address the students, Arsenuk told them he wished he didn’t spend 12 years doing something he didn’t feel passionate about.

“With reasons to go into a career – sometimes its financial, sometimes its security – that’s why I went into my original career. I was chasing those things,” he said. “Down the road I found that I should have chased what I truly loved and that’s my passion for fitness. It’s something that I always wanted to do, but I wasn’t pointed in the right direction at that time. Twelve years later I found that passion again, and I went for it, and I’ve never been happier.”  

Eighth-grader Steven Leichner participated in the small group that featured Chris Brantley, a sports agent, and Alex Thurber, a data forensics consultant. Leichner, who’ll attend Teaneck High School in the fall, said he may want to be a marine biologist one day.

“I think it was really nice that they did this,” said Leichner, referring to the professionals who came to speak. “They’re doing the right thing and setting a good example for the students. They gave good ideas, and it was a good program overall.”