Students get tips on choosing a solid career
January 13, 2018
What do you want to be when you grow up? That’s a question that every young person gets early in life. It’s a question that not everyone ever answers, but the manner in which one answers that question could go a long way towards determining success and sometimes happiness with life. That was the focus of the first Project ENRICH session of 2018 on Saturday, January 13 at Bowie State University.
Careers and how to choose a solid vocation was the topic of discussion across all four classes during the session. For the students, it was a time to voice their career dreams and get realistic, constructive and instructional feedback on what path to take to achieve those dreams. The career choices were varied: an aspiring veterinarian with an interest in animal science. An aviation enthusiast desiring to become a pilot. A future mechanical engineer. An artist who envisions transferring those skills into a career in graphic arts and design. A computer whiz. A future cybersecurity expert. And a medical doctor who was able to get some authentic advice about the medical profession from a real live doctor, who was Project ENRICH’s special guest for the day.
“Life is simple. Just do what you are supposed to do,” said Kevin Ford, Sr, M.D., a member of Gamma Pi Chapter, in speaking to the students. He emphasized the importance of commitment, taking the right courses as well as time management among the most critical elements to his making it through Howard University School of Medicine and building a successful medical career. Even though he spoke about the requirements to enter the field of medicine, much of his advice applied across the spectrum of career choices, especially STEM careers. He got the students’ undivided attention when he talked bout the many years medical students invest in academic and residency requirements before they become full-fledged physicians.
To help Project ENRICH students get a better handle in their career interests and aptitude, they were each given a career survey assessment test, during which many found the results surprisingly accurate or in some cases revealing.
One activity that seemed to captivate the students and parents was an exercise where director Willie Hines asked students to separate into two groups – those motivated by passion and those motivated by money. Set up like a min-debate, that triggered some interesting discussions about how to select a career that students can be passionate about but also can sustain them economically.
Careers and how to choose a solid vocation was the topic of discussion across all four classes during the session. For the students, it was a time to voice their career dreams and get realistic, constructive and instructional feedback on what path to take to achieve those dreams. The career choices were varied: an aspiring veterinarian with an interest in animal science. An aviation enthusiast desiring to become a pilot. A future mechanical engineer. An artist who envisions transferring those skills into a career in graphic arts and design. A computer whiz. A future cybersecurity expert. And a medical doctor who was able to get some authentic advice about the medical profession from a real live doctor, who was Project ENRICH’s special guest for the day.
“Life is simple. Just do what you are supposed to do,” said Kevin Ford, Sr, M.D., a member of Gamma Pi Chapter, in speaking to the students. He emphasized the importance of commitment, taking the right courses as well as time management among the most critical elements to his making it through Howard University School of Medicine and building a successful medical career. Even though he spoke about the requirements to enter the field of medicine, much of his advice applied across the spectrum of career choices, especially STEM careers. He got the students’ undivided attention when he talked bout the many years medical students invest in academic and residency requirements before they become full-fledged physicians.
To help Project ENRICH students get a better handle in their career interests and aptitude, they were each given a career survey assessment test, during which many found the results surprisingly accurate or in some cases revealing.
One activity that seemed to captivate the students and parents was an exercise where director Willie Hines asked students to separate into two groups – those motivated by passion and those motivated by money. Set up like a min-debate, that triggered some interesting discussions about how to select a career that students can be passionate about but also can sustain them economically.
