c/o Erin Hussey

High school students from across Middlesex County visited the University on April 27 to learn about possible career opportunities as part of 13th annual Career Fair Expo. The event was sponsored by the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce’s Business & Education Partnership Advisory Council, the Middlesex Consortium for Community Partnerships, and the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships.

Over 1,500 students from Middletown, Cromwell, Durham, Middlefield, Haddam, Killingworth, Deep River, and many other nearby communities gathered in the Spurrier-Snyder Ice Rink to hear from over 280 professionals in over 100 different fields such as manufacturing, law enforcement, agriculture, medicine, and the military.

“Children come here to experience all the careers that they have available to them and to try whatever they are interested in,” Thomas Serra, Chair of the Business Education Committee of Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce,  told NBC Connecticut.

As a part of the learning experience, students were required to visit with at least three different presenters from varying fields. Students were then asked to record the insight they gained from the professionals. Intimate conversations with a variety of employees and employers gave the young students, most of whom were sophomores and juniors, a chance to explore their interests and ask about career details like responsibilities, training, salary ranges, and opportunities for personal growth. The teens were also able to participate in mock interviews.

Superintendent of Cromwell Schools John Maloney expressed excitement seeing the interest from his students.

“It shows there are good times ahead for our state,” he said. “And look at these kids that are coming here and how important that is to our economy. It’s showing them what is available to have them stay in our state.”

Students also said the day made their future seem promising.

“Out of all of this I am hoping to find a career for me,” Odajah Gordon, a junior at Cromwell High School, told NBC Connecticut.

Erin Hussey can be reached at ehussey@wesleyan.edu and on Twitter as @e_riss.