Inside the Westmont High School gym, students and families from the Campbell Union High School District (CUHSD) attended a Career Pathway Expo on April 9 to learn and be exposed to job, volunteer and internship opportunities.
The Career Pathway Expo event was organized by Westmont’s College and Career Specialist Silvia Leon, and took place from 6-8 p.m. When doors opened from, attendees had free range to walk around, observing and talking to vendors who were stationed at designated tables surrounding the gym.
“The goal of this evening [was] to provide students with opportunities to speak directly with vendors regarding career pathways, internships, jobs, [and] trades,” said Leon.
The Career Expo provided a variety of options, such as military, medical field opportunities, community-oriented programs, various programs provided by local community colleges, and trade schools.
Mitchell Koren, a vendor at the Expo, is a certified arborist who works for the Tree Magicians trade involved in pruning and removal of trees.
“I’m looking for some students to take on,” said Koren, “It kind of works like an internship at first for the summer, and then is a potential job opportunity after that point.”
Koren explains that the goal of the trade is to provide jobs that won’t be replaced by AI (artificial intelligence) and give work experience that allows people to explore different careers that don’t require a college degree.
A second vendor, Dr. Adam Askari, is a dentist from the A&K Dental Assistant Academy. Askari describes a dental assistant program where students are paid to work as dental assistants for 10 weeks.
“It’s a good thing to have that in your resume when you apply for dental school or hygiene school … when you have that in your resume, you will shine,” said Askari.
Askari explains the advantages of joining the program is that it is a good summer job paying up to $40 per hour, and students can know if dentistry is a potential career for them in just 10 weeks.
“It shows that you completed something and you have a certificate,” said Askari.
Liz Simonovich, a vendor representing the City of Campbell Recreation Community Services Department, talks about how the Department offers a variety of summer job opportunities depending on what positions are open.
“We have part-time jobs available for entry-level positions … today we’re hiring for lifeguards and skate park instructors,” said Simonovich.
Although they were only hiring for two jobs, Simonovich says that other positions come around, such as gym attendants or day camp counselors.
“You get to make money, but there’s also more responsibility … you are learning skills that you are able to apply to future jobs,” said Simonovich.
The expo hosted 45 vendors, along with many attendees, who consisted of students from around the district who came with their parents or friends.
Some students shared their experience.
Sophomores from Westmont High School, Breno Abdulhak and Aiden Cyrus, say they came to see what internships they could obtain and also get a better understanding of the programs offered.
“We’re looking forward to finding out more about medical opportunities … we’re both going to be surgeons,” said Cyrus.
Kaylyn Tu, another sophomore from Westmont, attended the expo for a second time, searching for opportunities in nursing.
“An event like this, there’s not always going to be the same people, so it’s just nice to see your options,” said Tu.
On the other hand, she also wishes there were more diverse options because a lot of vendors had similar opportunities.
Reflecting on the outcome of the event, Leon’s hopes of students being able to connect with new career paths were fulfilled.
“We received positive feedback from students and their parents who attended,” said Leon, “Some even had plans to follow up for a summer job.”
However, similar to what Tu said, Leon expresses that the experience could be improved with a wider variety of vendors.
Looking ahead, the Career Expo is an event that occurs every year and will be hosted next year by Branham High School.
Career expos can be useful events for young students who are still figuring out what their dreams are for the future. By exploring the career paths exhibited, students are exposed to more options, helping them come to a clearer sense of where they want to be after high school.
