On Friday, April 19th, the North Hills High School CRC hosted its first ever Community Connections Fair for 10-12th grade students. The event was held in the high school gymnasium from 8:30-11:30 and featured a wide variety of local organizations, businesses, and individuals eager to share their resources, experience, and knowledge with students.
Organized by North Hills staff members Liz Dove and Evan King, the fair provided attendees with a variety of career paths and had something special for everyone. Students had the opportunity to engage in one on one conversations with participants, fostering new connections and relationships with potential career mentors. Liz Dove, a guidance counselor at the high school, worked alongside Evan King, a transition coordinator for North Hills, to plan this instructional event. Their primary goal was to prepare graduating seniors with valuable insights into various careers and job opportunities available in Western Pennsylvania. Additionally, the event seeks to educate underclassmen about the diverse array of career options within our community. Together they contacted businesses through emails, Peach Jar, phone calls, and social media, worked with principal Kevin McKiernan to formulate a mission statement, and finally collaborated with the high school counseling department to develop a scavenger hunt activity. “I want students to leave North Hills with a plan for their future, so it is important to give them the exposure they need,” said Mrs. Dove.
Leo and Christina, two representatives from PA Career Link, participated in the event to spread awareness of the resources available to students as they prepare to take the next step in their lives. PA Career Link is a free, government-funded organization specializing in providing information to assist young workers. Christina believes many students don’t understand the variety of resources at their disposal and often don’t know where to start when searching for a reliable job. She says, “it is not about how you get the job, but how you keep it.” Toward the end of my visit, I had a very insightful conversation with Micheal Desabato from Bella Capelli Cosmetology School. He originally attended a four-year university majoring in chemistry, but shifted his attention toward pursuing a career in cosmetology. “Most kids are trained to believe that college is the only option for them, but I have experienced first-hand that is not the case at all. Sometimes they don’t thrive in a classroom setting and have other interests. It is important to present students with choices rather than determining their path for them.” In Desabato’s opinion, cosmetology is a flourishing industry that is just going to continue to grow.
The response from students usually depended on grade level but was extremely positive overall. Maura Johnson and Morgan Duty, both sophomores at North Hills, believed this event brought them out of their comfort zones and opened their eyes to careers they knew very little about. “It is a great starting point for kids my age when deciding what classes to take,” said Maura. They especially enjoyed their experience with KDKA, explaining the representative was welcoming and informative. “He answered my questions thoroughly, and it was super cool to see all the unnoticed hard work that goes into making a production like that run smoothly. It was nice to see a job that you could have fun doing while also being successful at the same time. He even interviewed us at the end of our conversation!” said Duty. Regan Borsh, a senior at North Hills, really enjoyed the event but felt it was not a great use of time for seniors who already know what is next for them. “It seems like a very rewarding experience for sophomores and juniors, but I am committed to college and definitely know what I want to major in. Personally, I feel this would have benefited me more in 11th grade or earlier this year,” she said.
Generally speaking, the event was very successful and accomplished its main objective. Students left with a better understanding of the variety of careers available in their community and is something North Hills plans to continue for future years.
