With another school year coming to a close, the Leadership students and Leadership Advisor Kristi Santos at Adelante High School organized a job fair for all students to attend, creating some motivation and inspiration for the summer and beyond.
Santos explained that Leadership students Tyler Williams and Alexis Ferreira volunteered to lead the brainstorming session, which led the rest of the class to create multiple summer job categories and was completed within their two-week timeline. They created boards with the idea to engage students with visually appealing booths and sharing just enough information.
“To witness the act of discovery is always an exciting process,” stated Santos. “I had the great pleasure of watching students make new discoveries, as they researched jobs and constructed their booths. Students would share their discoveries with the entire class. As the project came together, I could see students taking real ownership of it, and they naturally started to think about their presentations from a constructive viewpoint.”
The students and teachers were strolling around the quad on the Adelante High School campus observing each job board that was created by the leadership students. There were boards with retail job information, mechanics, cosmetology, fast food, culinary jobs, and others.
“Specifically, the students discovered jobs they did not know existed, such as a part-time companion for the elderly, or what an enterprising student can do, such as offering to organize garages for people,” added Santos. “Student enthusiasm was very contagious, making this one of my favorite Leadership projects.”
A couple of the students from the retail job board had flyers regarding retail opportunities and links for students to apply for jobs online. The students with the mechanics board shared with students about the different jobs in mechanics like auto mechanics, heavy equipment mechanics, aviation mechanics, and small engine mechanics.
The event began with a speech by Dustin Pack, Program Manager for the Project Yes, youth employment services. They offered many options for students like vocational training, general tutoring, paid work experience, on the job training, direct job placement, résumé preparation, counseling, community service and leadership opportunities.
Invited by Santos to attend the job fair was CEO and Owner of Yumm Clothing, Robert Barnhart, who graduated Oakdale High School in 2012 and attended MJC. Stationed at the clothing design job board, Barnhart discussed his journey with some of the students and answered questions from them. A question that he was asked a few times was if he was hiring. Unfortunately at this time he is not, but Barnhart has hopes to continue growing. Yumm Clothing is available at 1985 Gallery in Riverbank and online at yummclothing.com.
“A big standout moment for me was standing back and watching, as the job fair was conducted by the Leadership students,” expressed Santos. “I knew they did it all on their own, with ownership, motivation and enthusiasm. They wanted to do a good job, and they did. I can give all the credit to the students.”
