Williams-Ledger students get glimpses of future careers

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press 

Financial planners, underwater conservationists, auto body and vehicle repair specialists, dental and home health service workers, computer technicians and tire specialists, along with nutritionists and bankers filled the two gymnasiums at Williams-Ledger Elementary School, so students from kindergarten to fifth grade could get a taste of future career possibilities. 

School counselor Andrea Hoffman spent at least two months assembling a very special guest list for the school’s students. 

Employees from various CCISD departments were on hand to talk about their jobs, from the transportation department that maintains and repairs the fleet of CCISD vehicles, to the child nutrition department responsible for the students’ meals. 

Mike Haire and Richard Ximenez, both with the district’s transportation department, had plenty of hands-on things for students to see, like a massive tire from a school bus, along with different tools—including a heavy wrench approximately two feet long that the students were able to try to lift. 

The city of Copperas Cove’s Streets Department, along with the Fire Department, also had employees and their vehicles on hand for students to see up close and personal. The employees had the chance to talk about their professions with the students who passed by class, by class.

Lori Pettigrew, a nurse with Family Care Home Health, had an interactive booth for the students to use equipment like stethoscopes. 

“I go to people’s homes and help take care of them when they’re sick,” she told the class at her booth. “You have to be very good at math and science.”

Hoffman was pleased to see some representatives from other than the “usual” professional careers. New to the lineup this year was Alan Horn with Edward Jones Financial Services, and Hoffman was excited that he’d come to talk to the kids about finances on their level. Hoffman said this ties right in to one thing the school tries to help students with, the idea of personal financial literacy. 

Copperas Cove Chick-fil-A also had a table, but their focus wasn’t on fast food and restaurant service, but rather on job seeking skills in general, such as interview skills. 

Discount Tire and Caliber Collision were also new to the fair this year, and provided something a bit more “out of the box” for the students, Hoffman said.  

“These are places we all go to,” Hoffman added, “but this gives the kids something else to think of in terms of a career.”

Fourth grader Gracie Checksfield took notes at the booth for Central Texas College, who had representatives from computer and video technology departments. 

Checksfield said her father works at the college’s radio station, and she enjoys going there and seeing how things work behind the scenes. On Friday morning, she busily took notes on a chart given to her by her teacher. 

More first-timers to the career fair were Coryell County’s Agrilife extension agents. Vanessa Casad, the county’s family and consumer sciences agent, talked to students about her job, and about healthy eating habits. Annie May, the county’s youth and 4-H agent, talked to the kids about the 4-H programs in the county. Pasquale Swaner shared about ranch and land management. 

Hoffman’s faced glowed as she talked about all the opportunities the students saw on Friday morning.

“Kids can see the relevance between what they’re learning in school and a future career,” she said. “Also, they get to see different businesses in our community. If we don’t support community organizations and businesses, it’s a fatal mistake.”

Students from the Williams-Ledger student council played hosts for the event, providing doughnuts and kolaches to the career fair guests and escorting media representatives.