Struthers students get glimpse of career options

By GRAIG GRAZIOSI

ggraziosi@vindy.com

STRUTHERS

Enlist, enroll, employ.

That’s been the mantra at Struthers Middle School for the last three days as representatives from educational institutions, employers and the military visited district eighth-graders to help them plan for their futures.

Teachers and administrators developed the “EEE” event to provide students with insight into their post-high school education and career options.

“It gets the students thinking about what’s important to their futures like their grades or their extracurricular activities,” Rebecca Harris, a counselor at the Mahoning County Educational Services Center said.

“I think it’s good for them to hear from professionals about what will be expected of them in the workforce.”

Harris was one of the architects of the program, along with English teacher Jaclyn Kuntz, Principal Dave Vecchione and schools Superintendent Pete Pirone.

Each day of the four-day event focused on one of the three “E’s.”

Monday was enrollment day, focusing on colleges and featuring visitors from Youngstown State and Kent State universities, Eastern Gateway Community College, the JATC Electricians Apprenticeship, Mercyhurst College, TDDS Technical Institute and the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics.

Army recruiters visited the school Tuesday for enlistment day.

For employment day, more than a dozen local employers, including representatives from the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, Plumbers & Pipefitters union and Vallourec Star visited with the students. There were also speakers from local restaurants, retailers, banks and entertainment venues present.

Today, students will participate in “signing day,” where they’ll be asked to pick which of the three E’s they would choose if they had to choose today.

Once they pick, they’ll have their picture taken in a frame bearing the title of the path they chose.

Faith Stellato, 14, and Colin Mateo, 13, are both choosing the “enrollment” path. Faith hopes to attend Ohio State University to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. Colin wants to study computer science or information technology, though he was surprised by the noncollege career opportunities available.

“Just today we were learning about the oil and natural gas opportunities here in Ohio and all the jobs locally,” Colin said.

Brooke Adams, 14, is planning to enlist in the Navy when she graduates, and hopes to study criminal justice once she’s out so she can join the FBI.

Kuntz said she hopes the information will help produce students prepared for the modern workforce.

“This event plants the seeds in our eighth-graders and will hopefully get them thinking about their futures,” Kuntz said.

“We want to put out students who have 21st-century skills with grit and strong work ethics.”