Thursday, November 8, 2012

Kids and Careers


Pharmacist.  Vet tech.  Auto and diesel mechanic.  Welding.  Nursing.  Culinary arts.  Physical therapist.  Radiology.  Actress. Occupational therapist.  Counselor.  Singer.  Aviation.  Graphic design.  Broadcasting.  Tool and die.

Our seniors have some great career plans.

A representative for a local college visited today and rather than do the typical sales pitch for the particular school, his focus was on getting the kids to continue (or begin!) to think about their post-graduate plans.  His high-energy, fast-paced, incredibly informational presentation engaged all of them today and I hope they left with a better sense of where they are and where they want to go when they are finished at MHS.


  Mark Heaton, representating Baker College Systems from around the state, delivered his annual address to the seniors today.  They viewed statistics about the job market and necessary training or education in 1970 compared to 2012 (above).  The key is that 70% of jobs require some training after high school, but less than 4 years of preparation.  Very eye opening to a society that screams "go to college" as soon as kids are freshmen.  And while a 4-year university may be right for some kids and careers, the point here is that it is not for everyone.  We want our students to be able to consider all of their options, knowing that they do need some kind of preparation for the career of their choice.

He then presented questions to consider as kids think about where they want to go and what they want to do, emphasizing the importance of visiting campuses and taking tours of facilities.  And I reiterate this important piece:  my college choice oh-so-many years ago hinged on WMU and Kalamazoo College and me stepping foot on each campus to get a feel for it.  Meeting the faculty, seeing real students in action, peeking into lecture halls and labs is vital to making a good choice about where one might spend the next several years - and several thousands of dollars!



Of course Baker College and its many campuses and successful programs was a highlight - wouldn't be fair not to promote it!  And some of our kids will probably choose one of the campuses as a place to study culinary arts (Muskegon, Port Huron), truck driving (Mt Clemens), vet tech (Port Huron and others), interior design, accounting, education, and any number of careers in the four hot career fields:  business, medical, technology, and education/human services.  So check it out if it is interesting to you.

Hopefully, the gears began to turn as the seniors continue to complete applications, see recruiters, and field questions about their plans from relatives.  And by May, they should be ready to go!




20 comments:

  1. I enjoyed his presentation, I learned a lot about going to college. I learned a lot about Baker and might want to go there after i graduate.

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  2. I liked how the guest speaker wasn't trying to just push us to his college onto us. He gave us plenty of good info about his college and its programs, but understood that his college wasnt for everyone and i liked that.

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  3. I loved having Mr. Heaton come in and talk to us about college! He made the same boring "what are you going to do with your life?" presentation so much better with his humor and stories about things he has encountered while working with college bound students. His presentation was enjoyable and also very informative. If only every college presentation was as fun as he made it.

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  4. Mark Heaton's visit was welcomed and unfortunately needed. Some students, including myself, wanted more information about colleges and careers for the years that are ahead of us. The years that quite frankly, are approaching fast. He may have threw a lot information at us in a short period of time, but it was worth it. The information was blunt and straight forward - something we needed. All we can do is hope that many of the seniors actually listened to his program and took it to heart.

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  5. I thought that Mark Heaton's presentation was great. It helped me a lot, and I've been thinking about attending Baker College. I think that it was nice of him to explain to us all the different jobs. Everything that he said was very helpful, especially if someone was still not sure what they want to go to college for yet.
    Katlyn R.

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  6. I enjoyed Mark Heaton's presentation. He made all the boring things interesting by telling stories. It made me very interested in joining Baker College because it's not an ordinary school where you have to pay tuition, you can just pick a career and go there just for that. I am considering going to Baker for Vet Tech.

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  7. The presentation opened my eyes on the near future and gave me a good prespective of what I wanna do when im older.

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  8. I was pleasantly surprised when I heard Mark Heaton’s presentation. I always knew about Baker College but all I heard was the horror stories. “Baker credits don’t transfer”. “They don’t care about their students”. Seeing Mr. Heaton’s passion for helping students made me actually feel like Baker cares about us. I still don’t think Baker is the right choice for me but who knows with their pharmacy technician certification program, I might grow to like the idea.
    Kaitlynn M

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  9. I appreciated that Mr. Heaton wasn't preaching about how "fantastic" Baker College is. He informed us that we all have different choices, and one specific college isn't right for all of us. But he also gave us really helpful and useful information about our futures. I enjoyed his visit to our class.
    -Cassie G.

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  10. Having Mark Heaton come and speak to our class was a great idea! He really got me thinking about my future and if I am continuing on the right path. With the college classes I am already taking he got me to re-think about my degree and if I’m doing what’s best for me. Having him here at Memphis really makes me want to go and talk to someone at Baker. Expecially with their program that will help me get a job and the right training I need!

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  11. I thought that Mark Heaton wasn't trying to get us to go to his college and that he was telling everything that was at his college. He was very helpful and told us what we needed to know. He told us how much it was and what majors had jobs out there and what ones didn't have to many jobs. I liked how he told us that his college was a 2 year college and not a 4 year and you did have to take the classes that you had to take in high school.
    James A.

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  12. I enjoyed Mr. Heaton's presentation very much. I learned quite a bit of information that I was completely in the dark with. Those boring questions we get asked constantly that always get blocked out, were the ones that caught our attention the most. Our senior year is coming up fast so this visit, I believe, helped us all.

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  13. i think heaton had a good presetion. i dont know if i wana go there or not but he gave alota good information to make me consider it.

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  14. Mr. Heaton's was a really good speaker! His presentation was different from any other I've seen. I liked to see the stats on everything, and it was nice to see my career choice on the list of jobs in demand!

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  15. Mark Heaton's presentation was very eye opening! I finally realized that Baker College is a very good option for college after high school! I wanted to go out of state but I think I would rather go to Baker than anywhere else. Being guaranteed a job after college at Baker is something anyone and everyone should want. I know it's something I want! I'm more then sure I’m wanting to go to Baker College after I graduate

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  16. Mr. M was crazy good at making this whole college thing look fun at baker... real talk. He wasnt trying to make us go to one certain college, he gave us just some information on one college which looked very cool with the dorms and other stuff. On a real note i might want to go there.

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  17. Boyfriend ExtraordinaireNovember 14, 2012 at 10:33 AM

    I felt that Mark Heaton's lecture was very fresh and stimulating. It was a breath of fresh air to hear a lecture that wasn’t all about how college and a 4 year degree are essential. But other than saying it is essential they can’t offer any proof or facts. Mr. Heaton, on the other hand, actually came prepared with facts and statistics. He showed what percent of jobs need additional training or a 4 year degree and provided examples. He provided my class with many helpful hints and tips that gave me a new perspective on the college life.

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  18. I really liked Mark Heaton's presentation. It really helped me open my eyes and pushed me to think hard about the future.

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  19. I think the presentation was very helpful. I obtained alot of useful information from it

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  20. I loved the way that Mark kept our attention. His presentation was very interesting, and gave you different opinions on different things that they have at Baker College. The way that they will work with you instead of just making you fit in astounded me. :)

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