The program aims to provide a realistic interview experience before seniors graduate in May — whether they are college-bound, trades students or entering the workforce.

Students are interviewed by a panel comprised of local business leaders and employers. Each member on the panel sits down with about five to six students to review their resumes and ask real-life interview questions.

Mock interviews are part of GHS’ career exploration curriculum, organized by Kathy Becker, who has experience as the director of the Delta County College Access Network (DCCAN) through Bay College, and GHS English teacher Jeannie Pearson.

Seniors are tasked with creating resumes that they can use and continuously revise after graduation. In addition, they learn and practice answers to the different kinds of questions interviewers ask.

Gladstone High School's annual mock interviews took place Tuesday. 17 employers and community members spoke before seniors broke into groups for their interviews, giving them interview tips and encouragement. (Sophie Vogelmann)

“On day one at the start of the school year, I tell my seniors that our Career Readiness Unit is the highlight of their senior experience,” Pearson said. “I promise them that the resumes they’ll create in preparation for the mock interviews, the interview questions they’ll practice, the interviews themselves and the follow-up thank you letters they’ll write are the most valuable assignments they’ll do in English 12.”

Pearson started the program in 2011 to incorporate more hands-on career readiness and exploration activities in her senior English curriculum.

“With Kathy at the organizational helm, the event really became what it is today — an annual, mandatory senior experience that, in my opinion, is extremely valuable,” said Pearson.

One senior, Vincent DeAgostino, found mock interviews to be a valuable learning experience. He plans to attend the University of Notre Dame to study aerospace engineering upon graduation.

“It was just a huge learning experience,” DeAgostino said. “I feel like the person who interviewed me — Jessica Beaver — she was very kind, very thoughtful with her advice, and [taught] us how to actually act in an interview, understanding that this isn’t supposed to be like a high-stakes interview. It’s more like a learning experience, so we have kind of the experience that we need in the real world.”

Gladstone High School seniors were interviewed by various community members and employers at the school's mock interviews on Tuesday. In this photo, Charlie Becker, a retired forester, reviewed students' resumes. (Sophie Vogelmann)

Beaver, director of admissions at Bay de Noc Community College, was one of 17 interviewers on this year’s panel.

“Because of our generous community volunteers, GHS seniors truly benefit from that extra layer of realism, making the experience even more impactful,” said Pearson.

While the number of people participating on the interviewing panel differs each year, there are many volunteers that return annually to push seniors to succeed.

“Initially, I picked people that I know out in the community and that had a commitment to local youth,” Becker said. “So, I try and pick people that will be constructive with the students but not intimidating… that are community oriented.”

Becker noted that employers from Billerud in Escanaba have reportedly hired people they met at Gladstone’s mock interviews.

Jodi Possi, human resources and safety director at VanAire in Escanaba, has been volunteering on the mock interview panel for several years.

“We try to talk more about the theory behind the questions rather than specifically the questions,” said Possi. “I’m just making sure that when somebody gets asked a question whether their situation was good or bad, that what they learned from it is really more important than what the situation was.”

Possi also said she chats with the students for the first few minutes of the interview segment to help them relax.

“It’s always such a great experience to be here,” Possi added. “We talked about everything from how to answer a question to ‘You got a great resume’… or what your body language looks like when you’re engaged. ‘What does it look like when you’re nervous?’ and ‘How do you get yourself out of that zone?'”

Gladstone senior Peyton Rohr plans to pursue a degree in nuclear engineering and radiological sciences at the University of Michigan. Rohr has participated in Gladstone’s robotics team, BraveBots, throughout her high school career and is particularly interested in the sustainability aspect of nuclear engineering.

Rohr also said her experience in extracurriculars, such as the National Honor Society and soccer student council, and her job at Main Street Pizza prepared her to connect the interviewer’s questions to her real-life experiences.

“It wasn’t as nerve-wracking as I expected it to be, and it honestly was kind of fun to get to talk about all those things too, because it’s not very often I just get to tell people like all about what I do,” Rohr said.

Another senior who participated in mock interviews, Teagon Reynolds, stated he wants to be an airline pilot after graduation.

“I see a lot of benefit in being able to practice this before it means everything — before an actual job is on the line,” Reynolds said.

The program underscores GHS’s commitment to preparing students for life beyond the classroom, giving seniors a chance to step into a professional setting with confidence.

“Through this opportunity, students practice professional communication, build confidence, and gain real-world interview skills that will benefit them in both college and career pathways,” said GHS Principal Andrew Jacques. “We continue to partner with our local community business owners to help make this event possible, and we sincerely thank them for their continued support.”