Students at Bridgeport High heard some firsthand accounts of the opportunities awaiting them after graduation when they met professionals in fields they are interested in during Career Day on Dec. 3.
School counselor Vicki Falcone said about 45 speakers from a wide range of fields visited classrooms throughout the day or spoke on video. They included a pilot and airplane mechanic, representatives from Red Cross disaster relief, law enforcement, industrial trades, engineering, education, social work and health care, an athletic trainer, and a spokesperson from the National Collegiate Athletic Association for students interested in playing college sports.
Falcone said the school used the YouScience program to measure the students’ aptitudes and help match them with speakers.
“I try to find speakers that would be of interest to the students and what they were looking for,” she said. Falcone said she often used the data to plan surprise field trips to health care or trade events for students who might have an inclination.
High school principal Jack Fisher said his students were engaged in the classrooms and invested in the chance to speak with professionals about the day-to-day details of their chosen fields. He credited Falcone’s work in bringing a wide variety of presenters.
“That gives a huge selection,” Fisher said. “It brings in some community members. Some names that they have seen in the area.”
The guests also enjoyed their visits.
Education and Workforce Development Director Shawn Toy of Ohio Natural Energy Institute said the students had many questions.
“Some great kids today. I just appreciate the opportunity to be invited to come and talk.”
Belmont College Energy Institute Manager Ed Mowrer gave some hands-on demonstrations encouraging students to pursue a career in engineering technology. Students created an electrical circuit by holding hands, and he explained how magnets can be used to save cows who have swallowed barbed wire.
“Engineering technology is really hot right now because of the number of openings for technologists.”
Mowrer said the students have a strong knowledge base, with several able to explain what he was doing in his demonstrations.
“It impressed me very much about the education they’re getting here at Bridgeport High School. They’re great students. Very interested and lots of questions.”
Students also heard from Spencer Porter, publisher of St. Clairsville Living magazine and Wheeling Neighbors magazine and founder and chairwoman of Why Don’t You Stay Awhile, a non-profit formed to encourage area youth to stay in the area. She discussed entrepreneurship, using the monomyth of the Hero’s Journey as a template. She touched on aligning their gifts with their passions and goals.
“It was really a chance for the students to ponder. They were asking if I’ve met mentors,” she said. Porter has connections with the school district, noting her mother teaches and Fisher is on the Why Don’t You Stay Awhile board. “We’ve been having a lot of conversation with the student body here at Bridgeport, and I can’t say enough wonderful things about them. They’re inquisitive. They’re kind. They are respectful. They’re engaged, and it’s a wonderful operation happening here and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”
John Gdula, a pilot with American Airlines, grew up in the Bridgeport area. This was his second time speaking at the school. He answered questions about educational requirements and travel benefits, adding there is a need for pilots.
“There are opportunities out there. The travel industry, it’s going to be booming,” he said. “It’s a rewarding career. You can go and travel almost everywhere with the airlines. It’s a very rewarding job. A very satisfying job. They pay us well and I just love my career.”
Gdula commended the school for bringing in a wide variety of presenters.
“The faculty and staff is doing a tremendous job here.”
Students learned about surgical technology from West Virginia Northern Community College surgical technology program director Tami Pitcher, who visited with West Virginia Northern adjunct instructor Clarissa Huff and student Cheyanne Allan.
Pitcher said she is no stranger to the Bridgeport school district.
“We recruit every year here. We would love to get students from Bridgeport to come join our program. We want to get the word out,” she said. “There’s a need in surg-techs. There’s a shortage and there’s very few schools around.”
She was also impressed by the students.
“They were knowledgeable with their medical terms, and they did ask questions and we had a few that were interested,” she said. “I love Bridgeport schools. I see them on the news, and I think they have a good thing going, and we can get a lot of students from Bridgeport.”
Ninth grader Braylen Stidd was interested in Pitcher’s presentation. His ambition is to become a pharmacist or nurse, and he gained a better understanding after hearing from people in the profession.
“I tested myself on it. I got most of it right.”
Junior Jaki Threet was impressed by the “Soft Skills and Grit” presentation from Robert Thomas, a Bridgeport graduate who now works as human resources manager with HICO America. Thomas elaborated on his challenges and achievements.
“I got a lot from it. He really explained well. He said how it really was in life. Everything that you do leads up to a specific thing and where you’re going.”
