From a special agent to a 30-year Wall Street business analyst, and an emergency room nurse to an automotive technology specialist, John Jay High School students had the opportunity to connect with dozens of local professionals on March 19. It was Workshop Wednesday with a Career Day theme.
Students strolled through the career fair set up in the school cafeteria, discovering what caught their attention. They could choose to lean in and learn more through focused workshops offered throughout most of the day.
Career Day was arranged for by the Counseling Center. “We want to broaden students’ perspectives from their studies to their future,” said School Counselor Constance Haggerty.
Because the professionals either lived or worked in the Katonah-Lewisboro community, Career Day had a personal aspect that led to easy conversations and opportunities to keep in touch. “Network!” the school’s counselors encouraged students as they checked into the fair. “Be open-minded.”
Learnings were unexpected.
“The customer experience is the most important,” said Justin Meche, Manager at the Cross River automotive shop.
“My favorite part of my practice is connecting with patients one on one and really getting to know them over a long period of time,” said Dr. Tanya Fatimi, a neurologist.
“My experience as a competitive weightlifting helps me add a level of expertise that increases athletes’ performance,” said Christian Tsakanikas, John Jay’s athletic trainer.
Several of the students that attended Jeff Muti’s Entrepreneurship workshop had already launched businesses—from a babysitting service to an ecommerce startup. “Starting your own business can start at any time - when you see opportunities,” said Muti, who is CEO and Founder of Sigma Worldwide.
Director Products & Technology at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Rachel Massa, led Human Centered Design / Product Management and AI. She described her career and shared the range of career opportunities in product management
Students interested in law signed up for Judge Eileen Nadelson’s workshop, Who Runs the Government? Your Answer is Wrong. She took students through the basics of the US Constitution, reminding them of the power of “We, the People.”
“Thank you to all visitors—more than 40!—who gave their time to Career Day,” said Haggerty. “We appreciate you!