By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor
Last month, Howard M. Phifer Middle School held its annual career day, an almost day-long event where students can interact with professionals from a variety of fields.
“It’s a special day where kids get to see glimpses of their potential selves for a couple hours,” explains Thomas Honeyman, principal at Phifer. “Our career day committee organized a great event. It takes a ton of effort to put together over 40 professional guests and 800 students and coordinate the schedule. Logistically, it’s a challenge, but it’s so worth it.”
“I’ve learned a lot from the people coming in, giving us ideas about what we want to do in the future,” added Jordan Wilson, 13, one of the two dozen plus student leaders who assisted the visiting professionals during the event.
Students spoke with professionals from a wide variety of fields, including lawyers, a comic book artist, professional chefs and more.
“I thought the event was really good,” says Qiana Cooper, supervisor for the Department of Children and Families, Division of Child Protection and Permanency, who grew up in town and is a member of Pennsauken High School’s graduating class of 1997. “They asked good questions. Some of the kids who wanted to work in similar fields were intrigued how we all work together.”
“It’s so much fun,” adds Christine Hazel, the Philadelphia-based chef who was a contestant on season 14 of “Hell’s Kitchen,” owner of Hazel Private and Catering, and AT&T’s sous chef for the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. “I talked to the kids about my schooling; what happened behind the scenes during ‘Hell’s Kitchen;’ how I enjoy creating a modern take on traditional dishes; and that it’s fun to make people eat with their eyes.”
And while often times, students asked about salary and benefits, the professionals shared that passion can be much more important that the paycheck.
“I’m one of those people who’s extremely fortunate to have a career that I love,” says Bill Cook, a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway, Fox & Roach Realtors. “What I try to impart to the kids is find something that you love do, something that intrigues you, that you’re passionate about and follow that. The rest will take care of itself.”
