Exploring Future Careers at Brooke Elementary

Brooke Elementary School third- and fourth-graders got a glimpse at many different careers on Friday morning during the school's annual Career Day. 

Presenters included a mechanic, an electrician, a florist, an attorney, a police officer, two engineers, a school counselor, a veterinary practice administrator, a health care administrator, a reporter, an IT director and a dance instructor. 

Students learned about all the different ways you can go into one of these careers, whether it's college, apprenticeship, vocational school training, graduate school or law school. 

Florist Heidi Swartz of Three Peas in a Pod florist talked to her students about the reasons to buy flowers, and explained how floral design can be learned in vocational school, where students get lots of hands-on training. 

"We enjoy showing boys and girls the fun things you can learn by staying in school and the different jobs you can have to help people," said veterinary practice manager Shawn Bojanowski.

Collegeville police officer Matt Cubbler is a parent of a Brooke student, and he said he "enjoyed all the kids and their great questions."

Engineer John Peck, who works at Boeing, said that there seems like a lot of interest in science and engineering among the students to whom he spoke. 

Patch editor Alyson D'Alessandro talked to students about being a reporter, and showed them how to create a story using the plotline from the kids' television show Phineas and Ferb.

High school counselor William Peck said, "The students showed a tremendous amount of enthusiasm."

Attorney Ashley Palaia held a mock trial to show students what being an attorney is like, and dance teacher Kelly Stento had students dancing around her classroom. 

Students were chattering in the hallways in between sessions, talking about all the things they learned.