Eighth-graders introduced to employment

Professionals provide insight into future jobs at Career Day for middle school students

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While thoughts of the future can simultaneously be both exciting and daunting for young people, nearly 255 excited Woodmere Middle School students attended two presentations by professionals for an introduction to various careers on Dec. 2. 

In its seventh year, Career Day at Woodmere Middle School had the 12 speakers share their experiences and backgrounds with students. Careers ranged from athletic trainer to nurse to psychologist. The students selected to attend three of the dozen career presentations and based on their choices, they were placed into two sessions.

Kim Mattes, the seventh and eighth grade math teacher, along with Brian Bonanno, the sixth grade guidance counselor, organized the event, and reached out to staff members and individuals in different fields to provide students with multiple options.  

“Even if they don’t know what they want to do or they haven’t thought about it, it helps them get an idea of what courses to take in high school,” Mattes said with a smile. 

A registered nurse at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, Sloane Zuckerman spoke to eighth-graders about her work experience for the past three years. She graduated from Hewlett High School in 2008 and earned a bachelor’s degree in health and human services from Vanderbilt University, and then another bachelor’s degree in nursing from New York University. 

“A huge part of nursing is education,” Zuckerman said, as she spoke to students about how her job involves working with a medical staff and teaching families what to do once a patient leaves a hospital. She explained what nurses do on a daily basis, how to check someone’s pulse and how some nurses have three or four 12.5-hour shifts per week.

Brianna Cabrera, 13, a native of the Dominican Republic and now a Woodmere resident, explained what Zuckerman taught her. “I learned that you can’t drink hot drinks before someone takes your temperature and how to check your pulse,” said Cabrera, who added that she wants to follow in the footsteps of her mother and her aunt who are both nurses. 

A former school psychologist now with his own private practice, Dr. Stephen Hyman, also attended Career Day. He worked in the Hewlett-Woodmere School District for 30 years at Ogden and Woodmere elementary schools and Junior High School South. Both Woodmere Elementary and the junior high no longer exist. “Everyday is different because people are different,” Hyman said. He noted that the differences are what make the job so interesting because psychologists are always learning new things about people and themselves.

“I learned a lot about the profession and what it means to be a psychologist,” Michelle Turovsky, 13, of Woodmere said. She said the presentation made her consider a future in psychology and that she was particularly interested in hearing Hyman speak on how feelings teach us something about ourselves. 

Melanie Gordon, an athletic trainer at Hewlett High, said she knew in high school that she wanted to pursue this career. She explained that athletic training is a growing profession with common misconceptions surrounding what the position entails. “I hope to educate them on exactly what it is and give them more information about it,” the Baldwin resident said.