Environmental and Marine Career Day Inspires Students’ Future Plans

Amity hosted their now annual Environmental and Marine Career Day fair in the hallways during lunch waves on May 1st. Event organizers Lynn Cocco, Jamie Mack, and Alison Berkes-Nork, ran the fair by inviting specialists from organizations such as CTDEEP (Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection), and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The fair grabbed the interest of all students, resulting in a successful, intriguing day for all participants.

 

During the Environmental and Marine Career Day, students were able to freely explore the fair tables set outside the hallway of the cafeteria during SSP. This provided the opportunity for students to interact with specialists, gaining insight on the field and its job opportunities. 10 guest speakers were present, explaining their roles in the environmental and marine studies. One table featured hissing cockroaches, which was viewed as a massive hit. The mix of interactive activities with the specialists and models lured students into examining the fair even more. Jamie Mack, a marine biology teacher, said, “Having exposure to different career paths might inspire students to learn more about those careers or take one of those courses related to it.”

 

The importance of selecting careers for one’s future this early on may be challenging, but the fair really paints an idea of what some of the options are in the real world.

 

When asked about the objective of the fair, Cocco, the career counselor responded, “What you need to do is learn what you don’t know and find yourself in a place where you never knew you could be in.”

 

While Cocco encouraged finding oneself in a place where they wouldn’t necessarily expect, Nork added on to that statement, claiming, “Students can be interested in a field but don’t exactly understand what’s going on– so the point of the fair expands on those depths.”

 

Amity offers courses and clubs focusing on marine and environmental studies. However, through the fair, students who may not be in these courses are exposed to fascinating topics that they would otherwise have limited awareness of.

 

Since Amity has begun hosting the Environmental and Marine Career Day fair, its success has been clear. With the addition of the marine portion of the fair, the fair has skyrocketed in popularity over time. Next year, it seems like Amity will begin to host this fair annually due to the fair’s overall success. Make sure to stop by the fair next year! With more students willing to explore the presentations, it is sure to be a blast.