First Annual Career Day

20 Mar First Annual Career Day

Exposing the middle school students from Hope Partnership to a variety of career options proved to be more than just a good idea. The energy, learning, and genuine enthusiasm that was generated at the school’s first annual Career Day was unexpected. The Hope room was crowded with the student body and 16 young professionals who were willing to share their experiences.

The afternoon began with a keynote by Donald Sherman, Esq. who works for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC. Mr. Sherman emphasized the value of “showing up.” He shared stories from his own life experience being raised in the Queens section of New York City and working hard to become a lawyer in the nation’s capitol. “Showing up” was crucial to Mr. Sherman’s success. Proving everyone has to work hard, he pointed out that even LeBron James let his team and fans down when he failed to “show up” in a disappointing loss to the Mavericks in the NBA playoffs.

Students broke into groups to interact with four panels of professionals divided by discipline. The legal panel consisted of attorneys and law-enforcement officials. The healthcare panel consisted of a nurse practitioner, a pediatric cardiologist, a general pediatrician, and a behavioral specialist. Students asked the healthcare professionals about the difficult situations they face handling sick people, and asked how it made them feel. The teaching profession was represented by a Penn microbiology professor and a Community College of Philadelphia culinary arts professor.

Hope’s tech savvy students related to the communications professionals panel, which included Comcast SportsNet journalist Marshall Harris. Mr. Harris allowed the students to pick his standout star, which he announced live on TV during the 76ers pregame show.

The day ended with a panel emphasizing the importance of education. Four guests talked about what they needed to study in order to reach their career goals. They also fielded questions from Hope Partnership students.

The event was orchestrated by Hope Partnership’s Young Professionals Committee. This amazing event demonstrated their professional expertise and just as importantly for our students, demonstrated what it means to care enough to show up!