FAIRFAX CITY, VA — When Fairfax High School junior Mayda Williams attended Career Day at Katherine Johnson Middle School a few years ago, she discovered an opportunity that would help her pursue a dream she'd had since she was 6 years old: becoming a dentist.
On Wednesday, Williams returned to her former middle school, this time as a presenter, to tell current students about the dental careers program she now attends at Falls Church Academy.
Williams was among more than 100 presenters representing 57 careers at the school's annual Career Day, an event designed to introduce seventh- and eighth-graders to potential professions and help them understand the education, training and skills needed to pursue them.
Curtiss Barnes, a school counselor at Katherine Johnson Middle School, said this was his third year helping coordinate Career Day. His responsibilities include recruiting community members, organizing presentations and working with school staff to prepare the event.
The school has held Career Day for approximately 10 years, giving students an opportunity to explore professions they might otherwise know little about.
"It's never too early to start thinking about it," Barnes said.
This year's presenters included accountants, judges, Drug Enforcement Administration agents, firefighters and professionals who work with therapy dogs. George Mason University also sent representatives from several departments, including athletics, interdisciplinary learning and programs that help people with intellectual and physical disabilities find employment.
A helicopter visit was another attraction, giving students an opportunity to learn about aviation careers.
Barnes said one of the helicopter pilots explained that preparing for the job required strengthening his algebra skills. The pilot received tutoring from another officer to prepare for a competitive examination.
The example illustrated how subjects students encounter in middle school can have practical applications in careers they may not yet have considered.
Before Career Day, students received information about the participating professions and selected three presentations they wanted to attend.
Barnes estimated that about 60 percent of the students were already thinking seriously about potential careers.
Presenters were encouraged to explain their educational backgrounds, training requirements and the steps they took to enter their professions.
The goal, Barnes said, was not necessarily for students to choose a career immediately but to begin recognizing possibilities and understanding how their current education connects to future opportunities.
He also emphasized that students have different options after high school, including college, military service and entering the workforce.
Three high school students enrolled in Falls Church Academy's dental careers program were among this year's presenters, including two former Katherine Johnson students who learned about the academy through an earlier Career Day.
Williams, an 11th-grader at Fairfax High School, said she had wanted to become a dentist since she was 6 but didn't know she could begin studying the profession while still in high school.
During Career Day when she was in middle school, she attended several dental-related presentations and learned about the academy program.
"I automatically started looking for dentistry stuff because I know that's all I want to do," Williams said, recalling how she selected her sessions.
One presentation introduced her to an academy where high school students could receive dental instruction.
"I was like, 'Oh my goodness, crazy! Like I need to do this,'" she said.
Williams remembered the opportunity when she reached high school and began looking into how to enroll.
Now, as an academy student herself, she was able to return and share that same information with younger students.
"Now being here and being able to be the one that's doing it is actually so crazy," she said.
Joining Williams were Fairfax High School junior Salem Zemas and Falls Church High School senior Annabelle Lao, both of whom are also enrolled in the academy.
School officials recognized Williams and Zemas during the presenters' opening gathering for returning to the middle school after previously attending Career Day as students.
Unlike Williams, Zemas said she had not always known what career she wanted to pursue. Friends encouraged her to consider the academy, and her mother urged her to give it a try.
After researching dentistry and experiencing the program, Zemas said she had become convinced it was the right path.
"I have no regrets," she said.
The Falls Church Academy dental careers program offers two years of instruction, with students traveling from their regular high schools to participate.
Zemas and Williams are in the first-year program, while Lao is enrolled in the second-year course.
Zemas said students learn about dental anatomy, patient care, oral hygiene and the different professions within dentistry.
The lessons are not limited to lectures. Students practice brushing and flossing techniques, participate in laboratory activities and develop skills for communicating with patients.
Williams said the hands-on nature of the instruction surprised her.
"I was very surprised when I found out that the class is so hands-on and interactive, and that we're working with actual people," she said.
The classroom includes dental chairs where students can practice procedures with classmates.
Williams said students also visit elementary schools serving lower-income communities to teach children about proper dental care.
Another surprise was discovering the variety of specialties within the profession, including pediatric dentistry, endodontics and periodontics.
Before enrolling, Williams said she primarily knew about dentists and dental hygienists.
The academy has helped her understand the range of professionals involved in operating a dental practice.
Zemas described a similar experience. She originally thought a dentist handled virtually every aspect of patient care.
Through the academy, she learned about the responsibilities of hygienists, general dentists and specialists, along with the importance of communication and other professional skills.
Lao, a senior at Falls Church High School, hopes to become a pediatric dentist.
She said the profession appeals to her because it combines science, art and helping others.
"I love art and science," Lao said, explaining that dentistry brings those interests together while allowing her to work with patients.
In her second-year academy class, students recently completed a unit on dental fillings.
For their assessment, students performed simulated fillings on a mannequin while working with a dentist.
Lao said the experience helped her better understand the procedures and responsibilities involved in the profession.
Her class is also preparing for the Dental Assisting National Board examination, which she said could help students pursue dental assisting credentials.
Outside the classroom, Lao shadows dental professionals at Care Dental in Tysons.
She plans to attend college after graduation, pursue a bachelor's degree and eventually apply to dental school. Becoming a pediatric dentist would require additional years of specialized education and training.
Lao encouraged younger students to take advantage of opportunities to explore careers before committing to a particular path.
She said volunteering, shadowing professionals and participating in academy programs can help students better understand what a career involves.
For Williams, returning to Katherine Johnson Middle School illustrated the long-term impact of introducing students to career opportunities before they reach high school.
During their presentations, the three academy students answered questions about enrollment, scheduling, costs and how the program fits into a regular high school education.
Williams explained that the academy does not charge tuition, although students must purchase their own scrubs.
Zemas said her high school schedule includes travel time to and from Falls Church Academy, allowing her to participate without missing regular academic instruction.
Williams said she was pleased by the interest from younger students, some of whom asked detailed questions about the program.
The experience was particularly meaningful because she remembered sitting in their position just a few years earlier, learning about an opportunity she would eventually pursue.
For Barnes, the returning students provided an example of what Career Day is intended to accomplish.
He recalled that some students who attended earlier events had no idea that dental careers training was available through Fairfax County's academy programs.
Now, those same students were introducing the opportunity to another generation.
Barnes said the larger purpose of Career Day is to help students develop the communication, collaboration and organizational skills they will need regardless of which profession they eventually choose.
Even students who have no idea what they want to do after high school can benefit from hearing about different careers and the steps required to enter them.
The hope, he said, is that students will remember something they learned and explore it further as they begin planning their futures.
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