Career Day At The Middle School

By Eliza Hallabeck

More than 20 local community volunteers presented at Newtown Middle School on Friday, November 12, to help students further understand possible career paths during the school’s annual Career Day, overseen by the school’s guidance department.

Each presenter was assigned a different classroom to use for the day, and students signed up for which persons they wished to see. The day helps students to focus on which classes they intend to take when they eventually move up to the high school.

Guidance Counselor Susan Connelly said the day went great, and included interior designers, a flight engineer, a pediatrician, and more career representatives speaking to students. Among the speakers were newly seated Board of Education Secretary Andrew Buzzi and Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra. Mr Buzzi presented as an attorney, and Mrs Llodra said she spoke to students regarding local government.

When speaking to students after the event, Ms Connelly said students overwhelmingly asked for the school to continue holding career days, and said they loved the free goodies given out by some speakers.

“They loved that it was real people talking about real jobs,” said Ms Connelly.

Students did ask for a chef to be among the presenters next year, Ms Connelly said.

Mrs Llodra also said the day went really well, and she always finds Newtown Middle School to be a welcoming environment.

“I realized very shortly into the day,” Mrs Llodra said, “how difficult it is to talk about politics to this age.”

Mrs Llodra said she spoke to students during the NMS career day in the past, but this was her first time speaking as a politician. Using the school’s student council as an example, Mrs Llodra said she spoke to students about representative democracies.