April 20, 2006

Backstage Pass

Leland career day attempts to help students answer the
age old question: What do you want to be when you grow up?

By Margo Consul
Leland Senior

What do you want to be when you grow up? Relatives ask me this on every holiday. Most kids do not have an answer to that question while they are in high school. But Leland High School is trying to change that.

Almaden Times Weekly sports editor Diego Abeloos talks to students about a career in journalism. Photos by Jeff Frazee

Leland High School held a career day on April 12 for the entire student body. Joan Albers, the Career Center coordinator at Leland High School, holds a Career Day every two years. Albers plans this day so that the students can hear “over nine professionals talk about their career experiences.”

The students arrived at school promptly at 8 a.m. to receive their schedules for the day. The students had picked their fields of interest earlier in the year. After they received their schedules they went to three panels, all focusing on a different field. The career fields ranged from artistic careers, to sales, to the FBI.

Speakers on these panels ranged from our very own Almaden Times writers Diego Abeloos and Lorraine Gambert to Scott McGrew from NBC 11 news.

The speakers had a blast. David Wierdsma, an event planner, said he felt there wasn’t enough time because the kids were so inquisitive. Weirdsma participated in Career Day to let the students know that his job is “fun, worthwhile and one can make a difference and get tangible feedback.”

Norm Orloff taught at Leland for 33 years before becoming a speaker on Career Day and has seen Career Day grow from the very beginning. He said that “this is the best one yet. I talked to the kids and got positive feedback. Even the speakers at the luncheon spoke positively.”

The day ended at noon for the students, and the speakers were invited to a luncheon donated by Outback Steakhouse on Blossom Hill Road. Outback provided a steak lunch for over 260 people for a third time.

Leland High School’s principal, Bob Sutterlund, acknowledged the hard work of all his volunteers and staff. “The success of Leland’s Career Day is due to the dedication and effort of 170 guest speakers, an outstanding committee of many parent volunteers and all Leland teachers.

Special thanks goes to Leland Career Center Coordinator Joan Albers, parent Amy Consul, for speaker recruitment, Parent Volunteer Coordinator Poly Silverman and Leland Staff Committee Chairperson Helen Arrington. And we are indebted to Outback Steak House for providing a luncheon for 250 to celebrate everyone’s hard work.”

The students found Career Day to be an incredible opportunity to take a look at how professionals attain their goals and what their everyday work life is like. Brandon Blackford, a senior at Leland, said that his favorite panel was the engineering panel. He said “being with my homeboys,” was what made it the best. Blackford is going to Colorado University in the fall and will be majoring in Aerospace Engineering. He said that Career Day “confirmed engineering assomething I want to do. It made me want to do it even more.”

Former Almaden Times Weekly Staff Writer Kymberli Brady addresses students at Leland’s Career Day while ATW’s Lorraine Gabbert and Diego Abeloos look on. Brady, who now works with the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, was discussing the research involved in breaking the pedicure infection story.

Jim Gao, a junior at Leland, was encouraged to apply for an internship at Tech Skills. Gao says that he “kept asking questions, and the manager thought I had initiative.” Gao has aite(ed and is waiting for his phone call back.

Adam Kott, a senior, said the day helped him realize that he would not want to go to a trade school to become a graphic designer but rather go to a UC or a CSU. He now plans to go to De Anza and transfer to UC Santa Barbara, Chico State or San Diego State University.

Jamie Lee Miller, also a senior, said that Career Day “opened my eyes to new careers.” She also learned that “academics are important but having fun and being social is important too in making connections.”

All the professionals, teachers and volunteers gave up their day to achieve one goal: to give students insight into a variety of careers. Peg Baker, also a part of the Career Center, said that “this kind of exposure to a variety of careers will help the students pick a college, and with networking for long term internships.” Joan Al-bers finds Car-eer Day “ex-tremely important for the entire Leland community. The day is important for students to hear professionals to talk about their career experiences, and it is an incredible opportunity.”

Eric Crane, an aide to Councilmember Nancy Pyle, and a panelist at Career Day graduated from Leland in 2001. He believes that Career Day teaches students to “prepare for the future and that there always opportunities.”

All in all, Career Day was a complete success. All the volunteers, staff and students gave only positive feedback. Students learned that working hard is essential but that enjoying what they do is also an important factor in picking a career.

Talking Turkeys

by Margo Consul

Spring fever is in the air and romance is sure to be blooming soon. So Backstage Pass wanted to know just how important it is to have a girlfriend or boyfriend these days. Our victims were spotted at the Almaden Center’s Baskin Robbins: Jeremy Steinberg (Leland, 06), Alex Strener (Leland, 06), Meagan Doyle (West Valley, 05), and Mirium Fazely (Leland, 06).

BP: Spring fever myth or truth?
AS: “Myth.”
JS: “Myth.”
MD: “Myth.”
MF: “Myth.”

BP: Do you prefer dating or having a steady boyfriend/girlfriend?
AS: “Steady girlfriend.”
JS: “Steady girlfriend.”
MD: “Steady boyfriend. I hate dating because everyone is different and you have to get know them. It’s just too awkward.”
MF: “Steady boyfriend.”

BP: Best date ever?
AS: “Spending all day on the beach.”
JS: “When I took my girlfriend to La Fondue.”
MD: “Having a guy cook for me and a cute movie like ‘The Notebook’ or ‘A Walk to Remember.’”
MF: “Cooking a big meal for me.”

BP: Good places or things to do for a date in San Jose?
AS: “A vista point like on top of Hicks Road.”
JS: “La Fondue or ice skating downtown in the Caesar Chavez Square.”
MD: “A drive-in movie.”
MF: “Watching a sunset.”

BP: Most important/attractive personality trait in a significant other?
AS: “Sense of humor.”
JS: “Sense of humor.”
MD: “Sensitivity and a sense of humor.”
MF: “Being sensitive and caring.”

BP: Most important thing in a relationship?
AS: “Good sense of trust.”
JS: “Probably trust.”
MD: “Honesty.”
MF: “Honesty.”