STA Students Experience Job Shadowing and Career Exploration

Juniors and seniors from Saint Thomas Aquinas Regional Catholic High School participated in a two-day Job Shadowing / Career Exploration experience. Students chose one of two days in which to shadow a professional in a career field of their choice. In addition to the job shadow experience, the students also attended presentations on career choice, college planning, and financial planning, and had the opportunity to explore their personality traits through a Myers-Briggs type assessment.

            The goal of the two-day event was to expose students to important information and experiences that go beyond simply listening to someone speak about a career. “The reason we adopted such a drastic change,” said counselor Nick Stoulig, “was that we collectively agreed that although speakers provide great insight, nothing can replace hands-on experience. Freshmen and sophomores can listen to guest career speakers and then be able to spend their junior and senior years shadowing in a career field that interests them.”

            Senior Grant Lonero hopes to one day be a physicist. He spent the day at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in Chalmette with Production Support Manager Eric Shoemaker. “It was such an eye-opening experience,” he said. “I sat in on meetings that determined who would produce pieces that contribute to the construction of rockets and then actually got to visit the assembly floor and see the fuel tanks being built that will go onto the rockets.”

Senior Jacob Deliberto spent the day with Hammond Mayor Pete Panepinto. “I chose to shadow Mayor Panepinto because I am interested in politics at the local and state level,” said Deliberto. “I learned that the Mayor has to be knowledgeable in every aspect of the city’s business. He goes from meetings regarding budget and what cuts can be made, to meetings about the size of pipes used by the Sewage and Water Department. Then he continues to another meeting about traffic cameras and city power grids. And in between he is constantly answering questions, calls, and emails.”

            Deliberto added “This was a great experience. We are so fortunate that STA gave us this opportunity. Every one of my friends and classmates had positive things to report about their day. It was a great concept and one that was very beneficial to the students.”