Arlington Job Shadow Day Draws Record 140 Students To Local Businesses

ARLINGTON, VA — A record 140 students from Arlington-area schools spent part of Nov. 4 exploring potential careers at local businesses, government agencies and nonprofit organizations during the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Foundation's annual Job Shadow Day.

Participation increased 13 percent over last year, according to the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. Students from Arlington Public Schools, Fusion Academy and The Sycamore School visited more than 30 workplaces throughout the county.

For the first time, the event included students from every Arlington public high school and high school program, the chamber said.

Students Explore Careers At Local Workplaces

Organized by the chamber's Education and Workforce Development Committee in partnership with Arlington Public Schools' Career Center, Fusion Academy and The Sycamore School, the program introduces students to potential careers through firsthand workplace experiences.

Interested sophomores from Arlington public high schools and students from various grades at Fusion Academy and The Sycamore School applied to participate and identified their preferred career fields.

Organizers then matched students with participating employers, where they spent half a day learning about the organization, meeting employees and exploring career opportunities.

Participating workplaces represented a range of industries, including aviation, health care, construction, technology, government, public safety, finance, hospitality and the arts.

Among the organizations hosting students were American Airlines, Boeing, Mastercard, Kaiser Permanente, Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Arlington County Fire Department, the Arlington County Sheriff's Office, the Arlington County Board, Signature Theatre and the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

Other participating employers included Clark Construction Group, Mercedes-Benz of Arlington, the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, Arlington Economic Development and George Mason University.

Amazon HQ2 Hosts Student Kickoff

The day began with a kickoff event at Amazon's second headquarters in National Landing, where Arlington Chamber President and CEO Kate Bates encouraged students to ask questions and consider career opportunities they might not have previously explored.

"I encourage you to ask questions, be curious, and make the most of every opportunity today," Bates said. "You never know what you might discover or which connection might inspire your next step."

Andrea Fava, vice president of U.S. Public Policy at Amazon and chair-elect of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, discussed the importance of connecting classroom learning with workplace experiences.

"Job Shadow Day gives Arlington students a first-hand look at the many career paths open to them, and at how what they learn in the classroom carries into real work," Fava said.

"Amazon was proud to host this year's kick-off at HQ2 and to support the Chamber in creating opportunities like this for Arlington's next generation of leaders."

Dr. Liza Wilson Durant of George Mason University, who chairs the chamber's Education and Workforce Development Committee, also addressed participants.

Students then heard from two Amazon employees about their professional experiences and career paths.

Brian Stout, senior manager for U.S. Public Policy at Amazon, and Maggie Moran, senior director of University Recruitment at Amazon, discussed how their careers led them to the company.

Moran encouraged students to "be open to many possibilities" and explained that career paths do not always follow a straight line.

The panelists also discussed internship and apprenticeship opportunities available at Amazon.

Following the kickoff, students traveled to their assigned workplaces for their job-shadowing experiences.

The event was presented by Amazon, with additional support from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Mastercard and Kaiser Permanente.

For more information about the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and its programs, visit www.arlingtonchamber.org.

Suggested Main Photo: The chamber's release includes a photograph of students participating in a panel discussion at Amazon HQ2 on page 2. Page 3 also features photographs of students visiting the Arlington County Board, Arlington County Fire Department, Alair Homes and Kaiser Permanente.

Suggested Photo Caption: Arlington students participate in a career panel discussion at Amazon HQ2 in National Landing during the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Job Shadow Day on Nov. 4, 2026. A record 140 students participated in this year's event. (Courtesy of Arlington Chamber of Commerce)

Verification: Reviewed the Nov. 10, 2026, Arlington Chamber of Commerce release. No factual discrepancies found. The release describes participation as a 13 percent increase over last year but does not provide the previous year's exact student count.