Courtesy Photo

A group of sophomores learn more about Commercial Bank during the career portion of the College and Career fair.

Last Thursday, Nov. 9, St. Louis High School hosted its biennial career fair. St. Louis Public Schools ensures graduates are college and career ready, and one way to do this is by hosting the career fair. 

There were four stations set up that students rotated through every 45 minutes by grade level; in the gym there was a multitude of local businesses and occupations ranging from law enforcement, to public education, to a variety of jobs in the trades. It was in the gym where the students would go to practice interview skills and get to know the specifics of certain occupations. 

Additionally, in the cafeteria there were a few colleges and universities from across Michigan that sent representatives to talk about what programs they offer. Also, there were recruiters from every armed forces branch as well.

So while there were two stations to help students plan out what they would like to do with their professional lives, the other two stations focused on an individual’s place in a community; i.e. what it means to be a part of a community, why it’s important to be in one, and how an individual can make a difference in a community. 

In the media center, students found themselves interviewing a panel of prominent community members who either positively contribute to the St. Louis community or have left the local community to go support other communities. The last station featured a memorable, motivational speech about not finding one’s place in life, but making one’s place in life delivered by SLHS’ woodshop teacher, Mr. Maxwell.

There was a great amount of planning that went into making sure the career fair ran as smoothly as it did. One of the amazing minds behind it all was SLHS’s very own Andrea Biehl. Mrs. Biehl worked tirelessly to ensure that no matter who they were, every student involved with the career fair was able to take something with them in order to build their life and future. She elaborated with, “It (the takeaway) could be something different for every student. Whether it is exposing them to different options, talking to potential employers, seeing what different colleges have to offer, hearing what career opportunities are available through the armed forces, networking with adults out in industry, we see value in all of it.” Furthermore, every student got something different out of the event, but the hope was the takeaway would be tied to being in a community. Mrs. Biehl also shared, “We always like to have a theme for the event, and this year the focus was on the importance of creating a connection with your community. A lot of opportunities in life stem from relationships that we develop over time. Creating relationships within your community can open the doors to many different options. Also, we want students to understand the value and importance in giving back to your community.”

The opportunities to build relationships with both potential employers and community members were taken seriously by many students during and after the career fair. One such student was Senior Joseph Rosenberger, who has been taking welding vocational classes for what is now his second year and was really interested in the job opportunities that were present for welding. Rosenberger shared, “It was a good chance for me to actually figure out where in life I want to go in welding. I talked with Powell Fabrication & Manufacturing for a while and got a pretty good idea as to what my professional life would look like welding.” Rosenberger expanded on his new view of community with, “It showed me how important it is to be a part of a community, and now that I’m able to see what it means to be in one, I see how strong the one SLHS has.”

So whether a student of SLHS or a staff member, Sharks are encouraged to give back to the community that surrounds them.