Ivymount School Introduces Career Fair

Ivymount School’s Aspire High School Program introduced the first-ever career fair for students recently. Seventeen professionals volunteered their morning, answering questions from students in grades 8 – 12 across multiple classrooms. Staff, including Jennie Kampf, Melissa Dogum, Alyssa Yeager, Victoria Keenan, Julia Donovan and Jennifer Kent worked for several weeks to organize the fair and help students prepare by discussing different careers and creating question lists the students could use to interview the professionals. We spoke with Jennie Kampf, Aspire Program Director, to learn more about this unique opportunity for students to explore professional futures.

How and why did the team come up with the idea to hold a career fair for students?

We recognized that our students have limited opportunities to explore a wide range of careers, as well as engage with professionals during their high school years.  We wanted to create that opportunity so that they can continue to grow their knowledge as they explore their goals for post secondary education/employment.   

What was your overall goal for the project in terms of helping students?

It was twofold; to expose the students to a wide range of occupations, as well as help them learn the critical skills, education and environments these careers require. This helps support them in making informed decisions as they set goals for themselves for life after high school. 

How did you prepare them and what types of questions did they ask professionals?

Much like how Ivymount operates on a daily basis, we really took an intradisciplinary approach. The speech department created resources to ensure that the fair was accessible to all students so they could engage with the participants and gather information that is meaningful to them. Additionally, the classroom teachers primed students, using the materials created, prior to attending so that students were comfortable utilizing the supports. 

What kind of feedback did you hear from students and from the professional volunteers?

Everyone really enjoyed themselves! The volunteers expressed gratitude for asking them to create an opportunity for our students to explore various careers and the students were excited learning about careers they have never heard of as well as the specific qualifications for careers they are interested in.

What were the different types of careers represented at the fair?

We had a wide range of professionals represented, from NASA executives to content creators! Thank you to the individuals listed below who made the fair a success and spoke with students about their respective career paths.