Career considerations

Hampton Academy seventh graders take early stroll along career paths

By Liz Premo

Editor, 21 Voices

HAMPTON | A flight attendant, a nurse, a police officer and firefighter. A technical school principal, a musician, a geologist, an insurance broker and a journalist.

These and other professionals were placed in the educational spotlight at Hampton Academy recently for this year's seventh grade Career Fair.

Organized by Guidance Counselors Angela Bowen and Christine Caren, the annual Career Fair provides seventh grade classes with a day-long opportunity to learn about an extensive variety of potential career options.

An opening assembly with keynote speaker, State Senator Jackie Cilley, a series of interactive workshops throughout the morning and a question-and-answer session at the end of it all made for a busy, informative and fun day for the students.

All in all, reports Bowen, "It was a good time."

Classes spent blocks of time visiting the school's lower gym, where about two dozen Career Fair participants had set up displays representing their professions. Students were encouraged to stop by every table to learn about the various careers while speaking to the presenters.

Many had participated in previous career fairs at the school, while others were first-time presenters.

"We had the FBI there this year. That was really cool," says Bowen. "We had an architect [who] is a parent. He did a really good job talking to the kids."

At the Hampton Police Department display, students had an opportunity to try on some handcuffs and have their fingerprints taken, and attempt to walk a straight line while wearing a pair of "drunk goggles," which give the sensation of being under the influence.

The department's black and white antique police vehicle, parked just outside a gymnasium door, was a hit as well.

"They loved the old police car," says Bowen. "Some kids were having a good time with that."

Students could also try their hand at performing CPR, have their blood pressure checked and put on authentic firefighting gear. They dipped their fingers into aquatic touch tanks, learned about safeguarding the "world's biggest drinking fountain" (groundwater), and heard how they can reach new career heights as a pilot or a flight attendant.

The interactive workshops, conducted in several upstairs classrooms, included "Career Jeopardy" and "Follow Your Dreams," among others.

"We had a new workshop called 'Get Healthy,'" says Bowen. "That was really cool. They talked a lot about portion size, eating, BMI (body mass index) flexibility and strength."

For the latter, students "used a tool to measure" the strength of their grip, says Bowen. Even teachers got into the act.

"Mrs. [Kim] Warburton beat all the kids - she got a really good score," laughs Bowen. "A lot of kids had fun with that."

Then there were the free goodies given out by the presenters: Corporate pens, notebooks, water bottles, pins, pencils, bumper stickers and more were some of the tangible items the students could take away with them.

"They loved the free stuff," says Bowen.

At the end of this year's Career Fair, the seventh graders gathered in the gym to answer numerous questions about each of the professions they explored. Among the questions: How many grandchildren does Sen. Cilley have; what are the "Five Ws" of newspaper reporting; and what are the age requirements for FBI agents.

"The kids remembered [a lot] when we had the recap at the end," says Bowen. "When we asked questions nearly all of the students raised their hand to answer them." Students earned prizes for their correct answers, and attained a wealth of information to use when considering potential career paths.

Bowen thanked Career Fair presenters for "giving up time out of your busy day to provide a great learning experience for our students."

Overall, Hampton Academy's seventh grade Career Fair was declared a success.

"They said they had a good time," says Bowen. "The kids told me, 'It was fun - I learned a lot today.'"