When Roosevelt School students filled out a questionnaire about Career Exploration Day, many said they were interested in doing good in the world. The December 16 virtual event reflected that, with presentations from young social entrepreneurs, Teatown nature preserve, a child psychologist, a journalist, a high school student who wants to be a nurse, and others.
Principal Michelle Grier and literacy coach Eleana DeLuna said it is never too early to start thinking about a possible career. “This is about you discovering your passions and things that set your heart on fire,” Ms. DeLuna said. If nothing stands out, “Think about creating your own career in the future.”
The fifth-graders spent part of the day researching potential careers on their own. Some possibilities they shared during one session were teacher, veterinarian, doctor, author, wildlife biologist, nuclear engineer, baker, politician, and cartoonist.
Two older students spoke about being social entrepreneurs, including Ellie Zimmerman, a Rye Country Day School senior who founded Interns 4-Good two years ago. The organization, which has more than 8,500 volunteers worldwide, helps young people gain experience through tutoring, creating videos, developing social media campaigns and more that are related to content optimization, as volunteers.
Ellie would like to bring Interns 4-Good to colleges. “Part of what is so exciting about running a business is being able to adapt and change it depending on what’s happening in the world,” she said.
Journalist Rene Ebersole, the mother of a Roosevelt student, explained how she combined her love of science with writing. She majored in ecology and environmental science in college and worked at a nature park in Florida. After earning a master’s degree, she became an independent journalist covering science, health and the environment for National Geographic, Popular Science, Audubon Magazine and other publications.
“I pretty much write about anything that I’m curious about,” she said. “Sometimes I just see something that catches my attention.”
Sebastian Oddo, senior vice president of innovation for the sports and marketing firm Octagon, described his job as finding trends and uncovering what is next in marketing in areas like artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, and biometrics. “I pair the emerging technology and art and I bring them together,” he said.
When asked what advice he would give to his fifth-grade self, the Ossining resident and father of three offered, “Try to fall in love with something and learn everything about it.”
