Keynote Speaker Dawn Ruggiero, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Fincadia, spoke to Wells Middle School 8th graders on Thursday, December 19th, for Career Day. Ruggiero asked students to look within and discover their interests: What do you enjoy? What are your strengths? Are you a good worker? What are you curious about? Do you like to come up with new ideas?
After Ruggiero had students thinking, they went off to 10 different classrooms where they heard from 24 professionals about their careers. Invited guests included robotics engineers, firefighters and police officers, social workers, cross fit trainers, an emergency room doctor, an educator who also sells jewelry, a facilities manager, a writer, a graphic designer, a cyber security expert, an HVAC business owner, and a sneaker designer. Although the journeys were varied, the message was the same: follow your passion.
In one classroom, Dr. Freya Dittrich spoke to students about the kinds of cases she deals with in the emergency room. She brought in a neck brace for students to try on and various other items to show and tell for the class–a cast, an x-ray and a chest tube. Even after the detailed explanation of how a chest tube is inserted into the body, most students still seemed interested in becoming a doctor.
In another classroom, Steve Elliott from the FDNY and Joseph Parello from the Harrison Police Department, spoke to students about careers in law enforcement. Ashley Piquarnes from the Putnam County Sheriff's Department, just down the hall, spoke to students about working in the K-9 unit. At the end of her talk, students actually got to pet Harlin, a yellow lab mix from the K-9 Unit.
Elena Negra connected with the Southeast Museum director Deb Oswald, who also writes historical fiction.
“I was so inspired,” she said, “I love how Ms. Oswald is intrigued by historical pictures and comes up with ideas for books and characters.”
Amelia Logan liked graphic designer Megan Naclero’s presentation. “We got to pass around fabrics that she actually designed,” she said.
Most of the presenters have a BCSD connection, such as Kevin Rivera.
Rivera, a footwear designer for brands such as Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream and owner of his own company, RNDM Lab, is also a professor at FIT. His son Jacob is in the 6th grade at Wells. He told students about his backstory, starting with being a kid obsessed with Air Jordans. He took an art class in high school and started drawing sneakers all the time. It was on the subway where he got a very steady drawing hand. He went to FIT to learn every aspect fo shoe design because all he wanted to do was design sneakers. Since graduating, he has had meteoric success designing sneakers for LeBraun James, Air Jordan, Reebok, and Adidas. Recently Rivera designed a t-shirt for all McDonald's employees in New York City--“I was so proud seeing people wearing my shirts,” he said.
RIvera encouraged students to problem solve and network face-to-face. But most importantly
“Bet on yourself. Be happy. Even if it’s corny, follow your dreams.”
