Story from Skye Pournazari, News-Press NOW — From building structures out of marshmallows and toothpicks to racing against the clock in firefighter gear, high school students explored career opportunities Tuesday during the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce’s annual My Success Event.
More than 1,700 students from 37 high schools were expected to attend the two-day event Tuesday and Wednesday at the St. Joseph Civic Arena, where local employers, colleges and technical schools gathered to introduce students to potential career paths.
The event, presented by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, gives students an opportunity to learn about jobs available in the St. Joseph area while allowing businesses to meet potential future employees.
Students complete interest surveys before attending to help identify career paths that might appeal to them, including manufacturing, health care, agriculture, communications and other industries.
For many of the students, the event offered a chance to discover occupations they may not have previously considered.
Building interest in local industries
At the Midland Steel booth, Savannah High School juniors Brendan and Wyatt McCoy, who are twins, worked at separate times to strengthen a structure made from toothpicks and marshmallows.
The challenge demonstrated how triangles provide additional structural strength, a concept that Brendan said he had not realized before completing the activity.
Courtney Mann, project manager, and Ellen Jordan, estimator and project manager, used the demonstration to explain how the company fabricates steel components that are later assembled at construction sites.
The company has contributed to projects throughout St. Joseph, including work at Mosaic Life Care, several local manufacturing facilities and the very building in which the students stood on Tuesday.
Jordan explained that the marshmallows represented connections between steel components, while the toothpicks represented the structural pieces themselves.
The Midland Steel representatives said they hoped activities like the building challenge would encourage students to consider internships and careers in the construction industry.
Teddi Paxton, an HR intern, joined technical writer Sam Fidler-Newby and content and instructional designer Morgan Brown in explaining that Altec offers career opportunities beyond the manufacturing and welding positions students might associate with its equipment.
Employees said many students recognize the company’s trucks along U.S. Highway 36 without understanding what Altec manufactures or the range of work performed at its facilities.
Fidler-Newby spoke enthusiastically about her work and the opportunities available within the company, including positions that students might not typically associate with manufacturing.
One representative also shared that a family member attended the My Success Event last year and now works for Altec, illustrating how the event can lead to employment opportunities.
A taste of career possibilities
At the Ventura Foods booth, the smell of freshly prepared chicken helped attract students to a company looking for its next generation of employees.
Hellen Fonticilla, a training coordinator, and Genny Norton, an HR specialist, said the company had brought chicken to a previous career event and quickly became a popular destination for students.
Savannah High School juniors Kambri Lehman and Addy Arnold were among the students who stopped for chicken and an opportunity to learn about Ventura Foods.
Norton said the food was just a way to start a conversation about long-term career opportunities.
Fonticilla and Norton described how employees can begin in entry-level production positions before advancing into training, supervisory and management roles.
They also emphasized that students who are not planning to attend college immediately after graduation can still build successful careers. Ventura Foods offers opportunities for employees to pursue additional education as they advance in their careers.
Trying on a future career
The St. Joseph Fire Department gave students an opportunity to experience one of the challenges firefighters face by racing to put on their protective gear.
Riverside High School senior Eric Ashworth completed the challenge in 1 minute, 8 seconds, earning a My Success shirt for his effort.
Although Ashworth already has plans to work in the oilfield industry after graduation, the activity gave him a chance to experience part of a firefighter’s job.
At the KQ2 booth, Savannah High School students Lukas Peak and Liam Snook took turns playing television reporter and interview subject.
Peak said he enjoyed the experience and would consider a career in broadcasting. He also shared that his pastor had previously worked at KQ2.
The hands-on activity introduced students to the skills involved in television news and interviewing.
Herzog also brought equipment to the Civic Arena, offering students the opportunity to test their welding skills while learning about the variety of careers available with the company.
The appearance came just a week after Herzog hosted its own High School Career Day, which brought students from throughout the region to learn about railroad construction, welding, equipment operations and other career opportunities.
Preparing for life after graduation
Along with the businesses showcasing employment opportunities, colleges, universities and technical schools were available to explain educational and training programs.
The event is intended to help students connect their interests with the skills and education needed to enter a profession.
“For these students, life after graduation is very real because it starts very soon,” Kristie Arthur, the Chamber’s director of workforce development, said in a news release. “The My Success Event is a great way to help them learn about all of the career opportunities available in the St. Joseph area.”
With hundreds of students moving between booths, the event offered employers an opportunity to promote local industries while giving teenagers a chance to see, touch and experience some of the jobs they could pursue after high school.
The My Success Event continues Wednesday at Civic Arena.
