Archive: Around Town

Lansing eighth graders got a chance to think about their futures last week with the culmination of a project on careers.  Wednesday and Thursdays were 'Career Day' when students conducted expositions sharing what they had learned about their chosen careers.  While some students set up displays highlighting the careers they have researched over the last several weeks, others went from booth to booth, asking questions about the vocations.

This is the sixth time Audrey Hummel has taught the career unit.  Classmates take turns displaying their career choice and viewing those of fellow students.  "It gives the other students a chance to learn about careers that they didn't get to research," she says.  "The presentations are one-on-one, rather than in a classroom.  I think that's less threatening for the students.  It's easier for them to talk one-on-one than to talk in front of the whole class.  They all get a chance to teach each other."

Maddi McDonald's project was on what it takes to become an Animal Control Worker.  She has a dog, a guinea pig, and two turtles at home.  She thinks she might want to pursue a job in animal control when the time comes.  "You get to help animals," she says.  "I thought they just save the animals, but they actually care for them in the shelters, too.  They train dogs to work with police -- that sounds cool."


Cobi Byrne wants to become a real estate agent.  "You get to help people," he says.  "They could be first time buyers.  You get to help them with a life decision.  I'd like to be a part of that."

Byrne doesn't seem worried that the current housing crisis will make it more difficult.  Rather, he sees it as a challenge.  "It's going to mess up the system," he says.  "People are going to be less interested.  They might think they are going to get ripped off.  It will be harder to sell homes.  You just have to come in with a great attitude and present good information.  Then people might be interested in buying houses."

The project teaches students about careers, researching, computer skills, brochure layout, display, and public speaking.  They begin by taking a self-assessment test to find out what careers their interests might lead them to.  "Sometimes they were surprised that they had interests in these areas," Hummel says.  "I wanted them to take their blinders off and see the whole world -- things that they could do, not just things that they thought they could do.  After they've done research they prepared a paper and a brochure so they're experts on these careers."


Most students said they liked making the brochures, learning something new about computers and layout in the process.  Hummel showed them examples from student projects from past years, and a slide show from last year's career fair so her students would know what to expect.  "Every year the quality has gotten better," she says.  "I show them all levels of materials and compare them."

There are over 20,0000 career titles in the occupation handbook Hummel uses.  She says that kid sare always interested in researching what it takes to be lawyers and the doctors, as well as jobs in the construction trades such as welders and architects.  "We have sports people and teachers," she notes.  "It's quite an eclectic group of students, so it's great."

Last year a student wanted to be a funeral director.  "That was a first in all the years I have done this," she says.  "That is a necessary career that is needed in the community and this student got into finding out about that and she really thought this could be something she could be interested in."


On Wednesday Sam Currie was telling fellow students about becoming a sports announcer.  Currie especially likes baseball and hockey, among many other sports.  "It's different not being on the field but having to know what to say," he explains.  "You have to have great reading skills to be able to announce the names.  It's great being able to be close to the sports.  You are sometimes right on the field -- you almost feel like you're playing."

Currie got a taste of sports announcing when he joined Luke Kutler in the press box during a baseball tournament.  While Kutler announced the game, Currie ran the scoreboard.

He was also interested in what it takes to become a sports announcer.  "I liked learning more about the job and how you can help yourself to become a better announcer when you're older," he says.  "You can take communications classes.  If you enjoy reading that helps a lot.  you can use computer skills because you might be typing things for a Web site.  A good voice is the big one."

Parents and other teachers were invited to drop in to Career Day to see what their students and others were doing, and what they have learned.  "A lot of them picked something that they have wanted to do," Hummel says.  "One young man was a musician and his heart's desire is to do that.  Another girl is an actress.  She's been acting since she was little and I'm sure she'll go into that.  But for others it's an opportunity to explore a new area that they never thought about."

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