Marysville students weigh career options during fair

MARYSVILLE — Sonja Olson has a career goal in mind, but that doesn’t mean she can’t learn more about other jobs while she finishes up high school.

“I see some kids who are just taking free samples, but I’m really interested in what’s going on here,” said Olson, a junior at Marysville Mountain View High School. “I want to be a pediatrician, but I’m keeping other options in mind.”

Olson was one of more than 200 Mountain View students who attended the school’s career fair Friday, April 23. During the two-hour event, students had a chance to talk to vendors from about 20 area businesses and colleges.

Approximately 20 community speakers also spoke with students about possible career paths, said Marianne Pauley, Mountain View instructor and adviser for the school’s IGNITE (Inspiring Girls Now In Technology Evolution) club.

The bi-annual fair is a club project for the school.

“We saw that our school might need more career options for students,” Pauley said. “If they have a career goal, this helps give them something to shoot for.”

Students at the school pre-registered to attend the various speaking events in advance based on their interests.

Planning for this year’s event began last fall. Pauley said she started to solicit speakers after she surveyed students to see what kinds of careers they might be interested in.

While some students were simply checking out the event, others had a more definite idea of the type of career they want to explore.

During the fair, Sixteen-year-old Alex Cullinane, a junior at Mountain View, spent some time at the career fair speaking with Karlene Wick, a community relations specialist for ITT Technical Institute.

He said he was just checking out the vendors to see what was available.

“This is my first year at this school, so I don’t know how this went last time,” Cullinane said. “I just heard about this today.”

Mountain View senior Alyse Storch said she eventually wants to attend college to study natural medicine. But until then, she said she’s taking a look at other jobs just in case.

Contact Marysville Globe Reporter Adam Rudnick at arudnick@arlingtontimes.com or 360-659-1300 Ext. 5056.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.