At Mericle’s booth, students were given the opportunity to participate in three interactive challenges relating to plumbing, excavation and carpentry.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Junior Achievement’s Inspire Live event draws enthusiastic students
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Building Blocks Learning Center played Jeopardy with students — and threw a few dance parties too.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Students were invited to write their dream job on a sticky note and post it on the walls just outside of the convention center. Jobs ranged from actor to surgeon to ‘idk’.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Metz Culinary enticed students with some savory popcorn treats, courtesy of one of its chefs.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Junior Achievement hosted its first local Inspire Live event on Tuesday at Mohegan Sun Convention Center, where High School students from across 13 school districts explored future career options with immersive, hands-on booths.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
PLAINS TWP. — Actor. Hairstylist. Biochemical Engineer. Writer. Anthropologist. Tik-Toker. Veterinarian.
Those are just some of the ‘dream jobs’ students scribbled on post-it notes and stuck to the walls of the Mohegan Sun Convention Center on Tuesday during Junior Achievement’s Inspire Live event.
The notes — climbing up the wall in blocks of pink, green and orange — captured students’ hopes and dreams for the future, as well as their doubts and uncertainty. More than a few notes simply read, “IDK.”
Whether students knew what they wanted to do after graduation or were still considering their options, the JA Inspire Live event was the perfect place to be. The event gave high school juniors and seniors, across 13 school districts, the opportunity to connect with local businesses and explore future careers available in the area.
The convention center was filled with informative, interactive booths from more than 60 local businesses that represented a wide range of career clusters, from education to culinary management.
Students turned out in droves, browsing booths and participating in games and challenges. Complimentary drawstring bags seemed to hang from everyone’s shoulders, no doubt filled with the ‘swag’ handed out at many of the booths.
The size of the crowd — over 2,000 students were expected to attend — was a little intimidating for Hazleton Area senior, Daurys Ramirez.
Still, he said, “So far, it’s been good.”
Everyone he spoke to was really nice and informative, especially those in the Energy and Utility section. He held up a flyer they gave him listing tons of job opportunities within the cluster.
“They told me about internship opportunities for the summer,” he said.
Event Chair Ruth Corcoran stood in the middle of the massive crowd in awe.
“I’m totally overwhelmed,” she said. “The students are loving it.”
Corcoran also gave a hout-out to DiscoverNEPA powered by Mericle, the event’s presenting sponsor.
“We wouldn’t be able to do it without them,” she said.
Corcoran praised the businesses as well, saying they “really outdid themselves.”
And indeed, there was something unique to be found at each booth. Geisinger showed students how to suture by stitching up the peels of bananas, while the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport had an actual flight simulator.
Over at the Building Blocks Learning Center booth Program Supervisor, Eric Heffers enticed students with a game of “Jeopardy!”
“A lot of our activities have been focused towards the students and things they typically like,” said Heffers.
“Jeopardy!” is a game the Learning Center plays with their students as well, exposing them to topics they may not be familiar with.
“To make learning fun again, that’s something we want to introduce,” Heffers said.
Junior Achievement of NEPA President Susan Magnotta praised the excitement and attentiveness exhibited by the students.
“I am absolutely the most impressed with the kids,” Magnotta said.
Magnotta noted how no one was distracted by their phones. Instead, the students were focused on making genuine connections with each other and getting the most out of the experience.
“I have hope for the future of our region because these kids are amazing,” Magnotta said.
The businesses were equally impressed.
“The kids are so involved,” said Janet Toporcer, a public safety administrator for UGI. “To see them and talk to them, they’re really excited about their future.”
Tammy Bonnice, who represented Williams Natural Gas Pipeline, said she had a guidance counselor come up to her and ask how she was able to engage a particular student in conversation for more than a half hour. Apparently, he was a notorious “tough nut to crack.”
“That made me feel good, like okay, I’m finally reaching somebody,” said Bonnice.
Hillary Parsell, who works in Mericle’s HR department, said the company’s three interactive challenges — relating to plumbing, excavation, and carpentry — helped students get “hands-on exposure to some of the things that we do.”
“Half of these things — I didn’t even know they were a thing until I came here,” said Hanover Area senior, Amiee Rincon.
Rincon and fellow student Eemaya Lopez said they were introduced to a number of new jobs at the event. Both agreed that Geisinger’s ultrasound demonstration was a highlight.
Even students like Cally Williams, a senior at Holy Redeemer High School, who already knew where she was going to college, got something out of the experience.
“It was really nice to be able to talk to people that are interested in the things I’m interested in,” she said.
Williams plans to attend Wilkes University in the fall, double majoring in communications and musical theatre.
“It was really nice being able to talk to the different news stations because that’s something I’m also interested in,” she added.
Throughout the afternoon, the convention center was filled with the sweet smells of various pastries, thanks to live demos from Metz Culinary and LCCC Culinary.
Metz offered cups of sweet and savory popcorn to students. Ashlee Parlante, who works in human resources, said she hoped the treats would pique students’ interest in what Metz has to offer.
And did it?
“Oh, yeah,” she smiled. “We’re almost out of popcorn.”