Students at North Windy Ridge Intermediate (NWRI) had a lively career fair on Friday, May 27. Local community members spread out across classrooms and outside to show students a glimpse into future careers. Careers were varied and unique - college professors, a lawyer, doctors and nurses, veterinarians, a dentist, a lab technician, business owners, a personal trainer, a climate scientist, a fly fishing instructor, a landscape architect, the Buncombe County Sheriff Dept, the Weaverville Fire Department, and North Buncombe High Agriculture and Animal Science students. With so many careers to look into, students were exposed to many opportunities for what their future may look like.
Amy Jamerson, one of NWRI’s school counselors, said she encouraged presenters to tell students what skills they may be able to cultivate now, what kind of future schooling or training they may need, how leadership plays a role, and advice for students interested in each career.
“School counselors do classroom guidance lessons with our whole student body exploring their personalities, talents, and interests,” said Ms. Jamerson. “We then have the students do assessments that match their personal strengths and interests with a particular career cluster. The students then research careers within that cluster that they are interested in. Career Day gives them a chance to broaden their knowledge of additional careers within their area of interest. It also helps students to see that the academic and social emotional skills they are learning now are relevant to the world of work.”
