Careers Day 1

9 March 2018Dave McCarthy - Director of Learning

On Saturday March 3rd we held our annual Careers Day, which, for new parents and perhaps some not so new, is a time when students get to experience a wide range of guest speakers from a variety of fields and backgrounds. Many are alumni and some are parents of current or past students. Some are simply successful local professionals and business people. This year we had over 20 speakers who covered areas as diverse as law to municipal waste management, ecotourism to software development. Our theme was sustainability, partly because of the urgency of our environmental issues but also because of the number of career paths and entrepreneurial opportunities opening up in that field. Local MLA for the Green Party Sonia Furstenau was our guest speaker and her message resonated with us as it focused on values such as treating others with respect, living your passion, and making a difference through a life of purpose. Students listened to each of the speakers introduce themselves and gained a flavor of their individual journeys before attending several selected sessions to get a more in-depth view of a particular career area. I spoke to many students after the event and they were unanimous in saying it was a worthwhile morning and that they got some valuable insight. Speakers too enjoyed their sessions and particularly liked the kinds of questions that students asked. A couple of presenters came in by Skype but most were live and many had travelled from afar to be there and reconnect with our community. It was poignant for many of us as veteran faculty to catch up with students from 20 or 30 years ago who are now leading successful and productive lives. For us it was a great ‘De Manu in Manum’ moment as we listened to our former students teach our present students about the vicissitudes as well as the joys of their chosen paths. Careers day will always be a special day for our community, past and present.

Where Students Choose To Be