Students get up close look at career options

By By David Dewease/Special to The Star
March 25, 2001
COLLINSVILLE Eighth graders at West Lauderdale Middle School got an up-close and personal view of the world of work this week at "Career Day"
Nine guest speakers from local businesses and the National Guard spent three hours talking to students about their particular fields of work.
The day was organized by Anita Thompson, a history teacher at West Lauderdale Middle School, and Barbara Clark, vocational counselor for special populations with the Lauderdale County School District.
Students met in small groups and heard what each of the speakers had to say. The guests covered a wide spectrum of jobs. Fields from law to forestry, and from finance to television and radio were represented.
National Guardsmen even brought their mobile air traffic control tower to campus for the students to tour.
The purpose of the Career Day was to help students decide what kind of job might interest them after they finish school. West Lauderdale is part of the Mississippi Tech Prep Initiative, intended to help students with the school-to-career transition.
David Dewease is coordinator of the Career Center at West Lauderdale Middle School.