Midstate high school students explore careers at Perry event

PERRY — Between the fire truck, police cars, safety equipment and model spine, about 1,000 students who attended Wednesday’s career fair saw no shortage of enticing gadgets.

Tenth-graders from Houston, Peach and Dooly counties made their ways around the McGill Marketplace building at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter to visit with firefighters, plant workers, chiropractors and even a bailiff from the Peach County Superior Court system at the Career Scavenger Hunt.

“I’m really pleased with the attention the students are giving the employers,” said Juandalyn Cray, a counselor at Dooly County High School. She said Dooly County starts teaching about career choices in ninth grade.

Cray was in her second year of participating and said she saw the number of businesses increase.

For the scavenger hunt, students collected tickets to redeem at the prize table. To earn tickets, students had to visit booths and ask questions of employers. The students also had to interview mystery people who wandered around wearing orange shirts. Students had to ask questions to figure out the professions of the mystery people, whose only allowed response was “yes” or “no.”

At the Flint Energies table, girls from Northside High School tried on a large belt, rubber gloves, a construction hat, and plastic sleeves used for protection in case of contact with an electrical line. The girls, who were interested in careers in the medical field, took turns taking photos of each other in the outfit.

The Warner Robins Police Department brought goggles that distorted the students’ vision as if they were drunk. The students then tried to walk a straight line. Many didn’t put a shoe tip onto the yellow and black line.

Jordan Stubbs and Sarah Sheffield, both seniors, attended the event as volunteers with the Work Out program at Perry High School. Stubbs is considering a career in either cinematography or the medical field. He said he took a film class in Germany and enjoyed it. He also finds medicine appealing.

Sheffield is an aspiring nurse.

“I had a lot of medical problems when I was young, and I remember how nice the nurses were to me,” Sheffield said.

If she doesn’t pursue a nursing degree, she said she wants to be a cosmetologist.

“I want to help people look better or feel better,” she laughed.

Aushia Williams, Jasmine Hugley, Beverly Napoles, Augustina Espinoza and Tiana Newton, all from Northside High School, said they want to be in the medical field.

“I like the smell of hospitals and doctors’ offices,” said Williams, who would like to be an obstetrician.

To contact writer Angela Woolen, call 923-5650.