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High schoolers discover new possibilities at career fair

By Sophie Vogelmann 6 min read

ESCANABA -- Almost 50 area businesses, colleges, labor unions and other organizations gathered at Escanaba Junior/Senior High School on Tuesday to introduce students to a variety of career paths and educational opportunities.

Students from Escanaba High School, Escanaba Student Success Center, Holy Name Catholic School, Bark River-Harris High School, Nah Tah Wahsh Public School Academy and North Central Area Schools, along with homeschooled students, attended the event.

A similar career fair is scheduled for today at Gladstone High School, where students from Big Bay de Noc, Gladstone, Manistique, Mid Peninsula and Rapid River high schools are expected to attend.

Both events were sponsored by the Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District (DSISD).

Career fairs allow students to practice networking with various professionals, who could secure them a role down the line. Additionally, the event provides students with insight into job outlooks, requirements and education for different careers and career ideas that they might not have thought of before -- such as pet grooming.

Combs & Collars, a local dog grooming business owned by Courtney Verbrigghe, attended the career fair in Escanaba for the first time on Tuesday. Verbrigghe brought her two dogs, Endo and Agate, to the event.

"When you come to the career fair, you see a lot of male-dominated trades," Verbrigghe said. "We really wanted to bring in a female-dominated trade. One of the other reasons I really wanted to do this is if somebody had brought this when I was in high school, and I saw it as an option, I probably would have done this a lot sooner than I did."

Verbrigghe, a 2016 graduate of Gladstone High School, went to college for criminal justice before becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). She then changed career paths and began working for D&D Dog Dynamics in Gladstone and then Pampered Pets in Escanaba.

The new dog grooming booth drew lots of attention from students.

"They love it. We've heard that a few of them said dog grooming wasn't even really a thought… like I said, that was pretty much the reason that we wanted to come," Verbrigghe added.

Samara Sanville, the second groomer at Combs & Collars, also attended the career fair alongside Verbrigghe. Sanville’s new puppy, Cosmo, got lots of pets from those stopping by their booth.

"When I was in high school, I didn't have anywhere that really drew my attention, but if we were here, I would have come up here so fast," Sanville said.

Another event attendee in the pet industry was D&D Dog Dynamics, a Gladstone facility featuring daycare, lodging, grooming, massage, training and end-of-life support. Kristin Bordeau, the facility's kennel manager, and her dog, Legs, met with students Tuesday for the first time.

"We just thought it would be a really cool thing to tell kids about different things other than the standard… there are hundreds of jobs with dogs or animals," Bordeau said. "(Students) have asked some really good questions."

Legs, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, is a certified therapy dog through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Joni Smith brought her Golden Doodle named Rip, who is also a certified therapy dog through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and a D&D Dog Dynamics trainee.

Bordeau said students also inquired about potential careers in training and handling K9s in law enforcement. D&D Dog Dynamics works closely with local law enforcement agencies, particularly in training K9s to work with their handlers.

The Escanaba Department of Public Safety (EDPS) attended the career fair on Tuesday, as well. Chief of Police Darren Smith, Escanaba Area Public Schools and DSISD School Resource Officer Dustin Stempki and EDPS Officer Alexis Barkwell talked with students who were interested in a career in law enforcement and those who were intrigued by what the department has to offer.

EDPS has been attending the event for approximately six years now.

Chief of Police Darren Smith said, "You notice with TV shows now, a lot of students are more involved or interested in those types of jobs, like in a crime lab, that we don't offer, but we do have specialties where you begin as a patrol officer and you work your way up."

Smith also said he was seeing significant interest in their booth from female students on Tuesday compared to past years, which he said benefits their department.

"We have our fourth female officer in recruit school," Smith added. "For the longest time, we had one. Now, we're up to four, so that's a big thing I’ve seen with college students."

While some students are interested in pursuing law enforcement right after graduation, others earn four-year degrees or pursue other career paths before landing on a role with the department.

"We know that some of the students aren't going to be available to us for the next several years, so we're trying to build interest for the future -- anywhere from five to 10 years down the road," Smith said.

Students also networked with Travis Heikkinen, who represented Michigan Forest Products Council's (MFPC) Forestry Industry Training (FIT) Grant Program. This was MFPC's first year at the event.

Students could be seen trying out MFPC's portable simulator, which teaches trainees how to operate industry equipment. Heikkinen travels with the portable simulator in hopes of recruiting young students or people looking to join the industry for a career change.

"Everybody loves playing on the simulator. We've gotten some interest -- a fair bit, actually. We've got a sign up if people want to maybe continue it in the summer," Heikkinen said. "It's a great experience. I was surprised at how many different schools and kids have come through here."

The FIT Grant Program reportedly connects students, workers and employers to high-demand careers in sustainable forestry, manufacturing, logistics and natural resource management. Additionally, a stipend program with MFPC places trainees with actual loggers in the field to finish out their training.

While some students have their minds made up about what they want to do after they graduate, the career fair still provides valuable networking experience and insight into other industries.

Mylie Luedtke, a senior at North Central Jr/Sr High School, wants to be a pediatric nurse after graduation. Although she has a set plan, Luedtke said the career fair gave her the opportunity to learn about different careers.

Another senior at North Central Jr/Sr High School named Addysyn Deangelo has also decided what she will be doing upon graduation. Deangelo plans to work as a cardiac rehab specialist.

"I think it's fun just coming here and talking to people, finding out about different things," Deangelo said about the event.

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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.

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