Roxborough High Career Day a Success

The day started out somewhat rough. After all, unless one is a teacher, or a student, the school schedule is something not everyone keeps.

Nevertheless, I shuffled out the door a little after 7 o’clock Wednesday morning and made my way toward Roxborough High School.

Upon arrival, I experienced all the things that eluded me during my own scholastic tenure. OK, the main one was the metal detector greeting me at the door. Didn’t have them when old Jonny Boy was a high-schooler.

Different world, I suppose.

Anyway, as I filed through the hallway, I was reminded of those days, way back in the mid 90s, when I was a high school student myself.

Seems like forever ago.

As I prepared my speech for Career Day, I got to thinking: was I receptive to job suggestions during similar visits from outsiders during my youth?

I had trouble remembering. After all, it wasn’t until the second year of college or so that I realized I wanted to write for a living. I wasn’t one of those people who had dreams of entering a specific profession when they were 5 and followed that goal.

For me, the high school years were filled with confusion, as is undoubtedly the case for many youngsters unsure of the world ahead of them.

In the end, that thinking didn’t hurt my cause, but rather it gave me the strength I needed to face these teens.

I went into it with the mentality that kids don’t always know what they want to be at this stage in their lives, so why bombard them with information. I merely laid out what it is I do for a living, told them of the benefits of a job in journalism, (new media in particular), and opened it up to questions.

To my surprise, most of the students were actually quite receptive. What, I have to use Facebook for work, they asked? I have to use Twitter? I get to take video, edit it down, lay music tracks, and, viola, a finished work product?

Indeed, I explained. This is the world of a multi-media journalist. It’s nothing special, I extolled humbly. It’s just what I do.

If anyone was interested in doing any of these things, I told them, give me a ring or shoot me an email. I’d be happy to steer you along.

In the end, my participation in Career Day ended up being just what I needed. That’s right, me. Sure, my volunteerism was all about the kids.

But at the same time, participating in Career Day enabled me to step back and appreciate all that I’ve been given. After all, what other job can you do that allows you to interact with different segments of the population? Interview locals? Do fun things with cameras and iPhones? Make the populace more aware of what’s going on in the world, (or in my case, the neighborhood)?

Yup, for me this is about as good as it gets. I just hope the Roxborough High students get to experience the same thing one day. That is, I hope they find a career that suits and fulfills them.

I’m sure they will.