Archive: Around Town

Last week Lansing eighth graders shared their aspirations when they participated in a career fair as part of Audrey Hummel's Family Consumer Science class.  Each student displayed a poster with information about the career they chose, and answered questions about their choice for teachers and fellow students.  Students were excited to learn about their fellow students' careers.  "We look at investigating careers, resumes, how to get a job, job searching," says Hummel.  


The project started with a self assessment test to determine the interests of each student.  "The first part of the test is geared to what I like to do now," Hummel explains.  "The second half is what I might like to do, what sounds interesting to me.  With those answers they came up with the areas they did their research in."

Students spent two weeks in the library researching two careers within their area of interest.  They had to find two books and two Web sites as references on each career.  They used their research to write a paper and create a brochure on the careers they studied, then picked one to present.  The five classes each spent two sessions with half the class sharing their research and the other half asking questions.

Hummel says that a lot of her students are interested in medicine, law enforcement and a variety of other careers.  "Psychologists and Psychiatrists got a lot of hits this year, and the medical field in general," she says.  "Also FBI, law enforcement -- lawyer was also in that cluster.  There were a lot of graphic artists, photographers, movie producers.  There were a lot of people interested in the construction field, too."


"The FBI investigates crime scenes and wanted felons," explained Brianna Brann.  "I'd be interested in being a linguist.  To translate."  Brann said that could help catch terrorists.  

Kathryn Hornbrook researched becoming an actress.  She has performed in a number of school productions, including 'The Wizard of Oz,' 'The Emperor's New Clothes,' 'Into the Woods,' 'Beauty and the Beast.'  "This summer I plan on auditioning at the Hangar Theatre, possibly, and doing the cabaret here in Lansing," she says.  "I also took an acting class at BOCES and they got me a couple of auditions."  But she is under no illusions that it is an easy field to pursue.  "I know it's a hard business to get into," she says.


Hummel says that students were practical and altruistic in their choices, looking for careers in which they could make the world better, but also make a good living.  "I think money is a big draw when you ask them why they want to go into medicine," she says.  "But a lot of them say, 'I like to help people, I like to feel like I'm saving somebody.'  That seems to be an interest for humanity.  They are quite conscientious about each other and the world around them."

Chris Rogers considered both aspects in choosing to become a Neurologist, and hopes to take biology in high school next year to begin to prepare.  "The best part about being a neurologist is you save others' lives," he says.  "A lot of deaths and injuries are caused by people falling down due to bad balance.  Neurologists earn between $100,000 and $200,000 a year if they're good.  That is a lot."

Rogers was influenced by his father, but is choosing his own path.  "My Dad's a pediatrician, and I really like following his career," he says.  "It's been really interesting.  I'm interested in working with people, and the spine and the brain, because it's interesting work."


Victoria Clute went in a completely different direction, exploring becoming a fashion designer for dogs and young and older women.  "When I get bored I start to draw, and I draw clothes," she says.  "Everybody likes it.  So that interested me."

Clute likes shopping for clothes, and likes giving fashion advice that is not always appreciated.  "My grandma when she takes me, she doesn't really like it," she says.  "I always tell her to stop buying black, because she always buys black."  She also wants to take her interest in a different direction, designing for dogs.  "I think it would be fun to work with dogs and to design sweaters and jackets and beds," she says.  "I have a dog so I thought that would be cool."


Hummel says that while eight grade is early to definitively settle on a career, that it is a good time to start thinking about it and the education they will need to pursue their interests.  "I tell the kids that just because they did research on a career it isn't set in stone," she says.  "I look at that as an exploration time for them.  Maybe this is something they want to get into or not get into.  Next week the high school counselors are coming to help them set up their schedules for next year, so this dovetails with what they're doing there.  If they're thinking that they might want to be a doctor they have to make sure they're taking all their science and math classes.  If they want to go into graphic arts they want to make sure to sign up for the art class."


Students were clearly excited by the project.  Many excitedly went from display to display, asking questions about the different careers.  They also responded to the research part of the assignment.  "I like the research," Brann says.  "It was really interesting to learn about what an FBI agent really is."

"It was good for them to see the different aspects of things," Hummel says.  ""It gave them an idea of maybe this is something I want to think about or no I don't think it sounds like really what I want.  It gives them a chance to investigate and explore."

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