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Students explore world of work at Bay career day

Jordan Beck | Daily Press From left, Bay College student Tiffany Nareski shows Gladstone high school student Gage Sischo and Escanaba High School student Kelton Beauvais how to check the lungs and heartbeat of Bay’s SimMan training mannequin during the 31st Annual Career Day at Bay Thursday.

ESCANABA — Hundreds of high school juniors and seniors from around the area toured Bay College’s campus and learned about the career and technical programs available there during the 31st Annual Career Day at Bay Thursday.

Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Business, Technology and Workforce Development Mary Dittrich, who organized this event, said it was meant to provide high schoolers with information about the programs available at Bay.

“The goal would be to … inform students as to what we have to offer as far as occupational programs,” she said. The event was previously known as the “Occupational Open House.”

According to Dittrich, over 400 students were involved in 2018’s Career Day at Bay.

“We have approximately … 410 students that came,” she said. Students from Bark River, Big Bay, Engadine, Escanaba Senior High School, Escanaba Student Success Center, Gladstone, Gwinn, Manistique, Menominee, Nah Tah Wahsh, North Central, Rapid River, Stephenson, Superior Central, and Niagara attended Career Day at Bay this year.

A wide variety of Bay’s programs were represented at this event. One of these programs was Automotive Technology, and visiting students who elected to learn about this program had an opportunity to get some hands-on experience.

“What they’re doing is circuit repair,” Automotive Instructor Mike Gardner said. During the event, current Bay students demonstrated how to do this work and visiting high schoolers were able to try it themselves.

Gardner said he felt Career Day at Bay is important because it helps local high school students learn what Bay has to offer.

“It exposes the kids to different things,” he said.

One student who took part in the Automotive Technology section of Thursday’s event was Toni Carlson of Gladstone. Carlson said she enjoyed Career Day at Bay.

“I think it’s a pretty cool idea and a good experience for students to see how Bay College works,” she said.

She also noted that taking part in this activity increased her interest in taking classes related to automotive technology.

“I think it’s a good thing to know,” Carlson said.

Another program represented during Career Day at Bay was Bay’s Mechatronics program.

“We want to give them a little peek behind the curtain, if you will,” Mechatronics Instructor Mark Highum said.

To this end, students who chose to learn about Bay’s Mechatronics program Thursday were able to take control of a simulated robot.

“They are playing with the RobotRun robot simulator,” Highum said.

Escanaba Student Success Center student Morris Barnes said he was glad to be able to try this simulator.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” he said.

He also noted that he has long been interested in robotics.

“Stuff like this has always been an interest of mine, so being able to see the simulation up close has made me more interested,” Barnes said.

At M-TEC, high school students learned about Bay’s EMT/Paramedic program by taking part in a variety of exercises.

“We have both EMT-Basic and Paramedic labs set up,” EMT/Paramedic Program Director and Instructor LaVerne Smith said. Among other pieces of equipment, visiting students were able to examine the lab’s high-fidelity SimMan training mannequin.

Gladstone student Gage Sischo said he decided to learn more about Bay’s EMT/Paramedic program because he felt it could be a good fit for him.

“I’m interested in public service,” he said.

He also said Career Day at Bay was an ideal way of learning more about what Bay College has to offer.

“I like it — it’s a lot of information,” Sischo said.

Smith was enthusiastic about Career Day at Bay, as well.

“I think it’s a good opportunity to introduce potential future students to the programs available at Bay … and have fun doing it,” she said.

According to a press release issued by the college, Bay’s Accounting, Business Administration/Marketing, Computer Information Systems, Computer Network Systems and Security, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Development, Geographic Information Systems, Human Services, Nursing (LPN/RN), Office Information Systems, Water Resource Management, Environmental Management, and Welding Technology programs were also featured at this year’s Career Day at Bay.

Bay College President Laura Coleman said she was glad that the college was once again able to hold Career Day at Bay.

“It’s a very exciting day for us at Bay College to have all of these great students in … to experience the programs that we have that will provide job security within this community, and that transfer on to four-year institutions for students to be able to continue their education,” she said.

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