Willow Bend counselor Jessica Neitsch said Career Day ties in with their Red Ribbon Week events.

 

"We typically have Career Day at Willow Bend during Red Ribbon week," Neitsch said. "This allows the students to connect the importance of how putting harmful things into our bodies can often times have long term effects. We talk to students about how the decisions that we make now can affect our future, and that sometimes poor choices can hinder us from being able to learn and reach our goals. We encourage our Career Day presenters to talk about the importance of making healthy choices for ourselves."

 

Neitsch said they strive to get a multitude of presenters to show the students all kinds of future job opportunities.

 

"Career Day presenters are contacted by our staff and may be family members or people they know in the community," Neitsch said. "We even have several parents of students who present. We have a variety of career presenters so that students have exposure to many different options."

 

Many different presenters were present at the event including Pittman Jiu Jitsu, Peoples Bank, Gold Stripe Coffee Roasters, Lubbock Police Department, Texas Tech Athletics, Forensic Scientists, Engineers and many more.

 

One presenter was Vronka Stoker, a Horticulturalist and Nursery Market Manager at Tom's Tree Place in Lubbock. Stoker said she was excited to have a part in Career Day and was impressed by the students.

 

"The children were amazing," Stoker said. "Presentations for Career Day's like this are important for the children to see all walks of life. They saw the plants and seed packets on the table and they guessed that I was a farmer. I responded ‘I could be’. They guessed that I was a scientist and I said ‘I could be.' The guessing continued and while they did not guess Horticulturalist, they guessed many things that I could be with my education."

 

Members of the Frenship Police Department also attended Career Day. Officer Richard Mosher, Lieutenant Amy Penn, and even K9 Officer Lily presented and spoke to students about the importance of safety at school. 

 

"I love the interaction with the kids - watching their faces when they walk up and see the police cars, and then when the dog comes out you hear the gasps of excitement," Mosher said. "I think it is important that the kids have positive interactions with police officers. I think if we start building relationships with them at an elementary age it will continue throughout their lives. I know of a Willow Bend Kindergartener that I have built a relationship with, that got lost at the State fair this year. He found a police officer and stayed with him until his parents found him. The parents were thankful that he knew to find a police officer. It is because of events like this that kids know to do that."

 

Lieutenant Penn said that she loves attending events like this across the district. She explained that building relationships with the students and staff is the most important part of her job.

 

"It's important for them to see we aren't just police officers that enforce the law," Penn said. "We are people in a police uniform that care about them. We want to help them, support them and see them succeed."