Phoebe Pritchard
(Left to Right) Sophomores Ryan Jaffee and Aadi Pudur, and Juniors Caleb Williams, Leilani MacIntyre, and Alex Cirino, organizers of Career Day, pose in front of the Shorecrest emblem.
Hallways buzzed with activity, classrooms filled with students gathered to meet professionals living their career goals face-to-face, arriving to mentor and inspire the next generation in their field.
On Monday, April 7, the Shorecrest Upper School hosted its annual Career Day. The event was organized by the STEAM and Career Clubs, assisted by their advisor, Director of Technology & Media Services Dr. Anna Baralt. After weeks of planning, the event finally came to life. Students were visited by professionals who discussed their fields of expertise.
The day kicked off with a lesson in the importance of failing from Goldman Sachs’ Asset and Wealth Management Vice President Natalie Gebicke. Following the keynote, students had the opportunity to choose their own adventure from an impressive lineup of speakers from a wide range of industries.
From actors to surgeons, the students had a chance to learn from professionals in various careers, such as ArtStar founder and CEO Chrissy Crawford Corredor ’98, Raymond James financial manager and investment firm owner Matt Frey, and veterinarian and small animal dentistry specialist Dr. Sarah Longino ’13. They presented alongside many Shorecrest alumni and faculty members.
“While it is impossible to find speakers to meet the interests of every Shorecrest student, the committee worked hard to bring in dynamic individuals from across 18 different fields,” said Dr. Baralt. “I also love seeing our alumni come back to engage with the students.”
Career Day not only brings the community together to learn from experts, but it also provides students with clarity and direction about their futures, regardless of career choice. Many speakers offered advice derived from their own struggles and experiences. As actress and activist Alexandria Crawford ’12 said, “It’s not the end of the world, until it’s the end of the world,” sharing the necessity of resilience to succeed in challenging fields.
Rather than simply listening to the speakers’ stories, they were able to engage with them directly. Building connections is an important step in starting your career, and according to junior Leilani MacIntyre, who helped organize the event, Career Day directly introduced students to the professionals so they could form connections with and solicit additional advice and guidance from them before entering the working world.
Junior Lily Davila, who attended a session with Judge Michael Hooi ’02, said, “My favorite thing in the world is just listening and watching someone talk about what they love, and it was so insightful, you could tell he loved what he did.”
Learn more about Career Day’s speakers here: https://sites.google.com/shorecrest.org/steam-and-career-clubs-connect/home