Students sat in clusters around the Brewster High School gym, deep in concentration. As part of the Junior Career Fair, professionals from across the community were on hand, some with lollipops or giveaways, to talk to juniors about the work that they do every day.
The fair highlighted a wide range of careers from construction and engineering to physical therapy and journalism.
After visiting the Sizo Salon station, Jessica Tierney said she learned that there was much more to cosmetology than she had previously thought.
“One of my friends asked about special effects makeup and they mentioned that makeup isn’t only to make things beautiful. You can make things ugly and creepy too,” Tierney said. “I thought that was cool. You can do more with makeup than just make someone look like she is going to the prom. I might actually consider going into cosmetology.”
While students like Tierney started thinking of some careers in a new light, others had their eyes opened about industries they have long considered.
“It was reassuring to hear about different things you can do within certain fields,” said Charlotte Greene. “We learned a lot about how if you want to start a business, for example, there are all kinds of things that you can do. Similarly, with nursing, there are many different specialties.”
Grace Lara went into the morning with a plan for her future.
“I knew that I was really interested in social work and I wanted to be a therapist, but I didn’t really know the difference between therapy and social work,” she said. “So I talked to the social worker and she really opened my eyes to different career paths I can take, different ways I can utilize a social work degree that I didn’t even know about before.”
After high school, Lara had imagined a path for herself that included getting a bachelor’s degree in psychology and then a master’s degree before earning a license. But after talking with Erin Alvarez, a licensed clinical social worker for Brewster schools, Lara was surprised at how many options exist in social work.
Brewster HamletHub’s Margaret Carey, a presenter at the fair, felt that excitement with other students as well.
“The students were receptive, they were asking questions, they were intrigued,” she said. “I think this was a great opportunity for students to explore different careers before they start deciding where they’re going to go in their senior year and into college.”
We would like to send out a big thank you all of the local businesses who participated in our Junior Career Fair. Participants included:
- Dr. Satishchandra Pai, Orthodontist
- Maria Mangan, Salon owner/hairstylist at Sizo Salon
- Amy Brill, HR Director at Dunmore Corporation
- Kathy Moore O’Connor, Executive Editor at The 74
- Tina Campbell, Regional Partner Master Networks NY/CT
- Paul Purpura, Construction & Electrical
- Matthew Kraisky, Deputy Sheriff & SWAT Certified
- Margaret Carey, HamletHub Editor and President of Master It Media
- Jim Treloar, Director of Technology at Brewster schools
- John Hansen, Construction Manager
- Holly Pais, Program Facilitator at Green Chimneys
- Robert A. Cinque, Principal Attorney at Goldsand and Cinque
- Iris Silverman, Math Teacher
- Erin Ray Pascaretti, Epidemiologist at the Putnam County Department of Health
- Erin Alvarez, Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Brewster High School
- Kathleen Culligan, Director of Human Resources for Brewster schools
- Annette Gonzalez, Veterinarian
- Frank Bisignano, Training Director for Union Members
- Robin Greene, Investor Relations Consultant
- Shirley Ciotola LPN & Terri-Ann Lisa RN, Brewster High School Nurses
- Edward Cloherty, Automotive Mechanics and Truck Technician
- Jean Dohan, Food Services Assistant Director
- Bryan Kelly, Physical Therapist