What do you want to be when you get older? Where do you want to go to college? What are you going to do with your life? These are just a sampling of the endless probing questions highschool students are subject to receive. Especially at a young age, it can be difficult to definitively answer these questions that will have such a lasting impact on one’s life. Junior students got the chance to take a step closer to answering these questions through Archmere’s career day on December third. 

The day began with a keynote speech by Mr. Chris Ryan, the founder of Silverquicken Learning. A Harvard grad and a skilled speaker, Mr. Ryan spoke to students about the value of picking an appropriate and fulfilling career path. He gave practical tips using the mnemonic “Skills, Wills, Bills”, emphasizing three important pillars of career selection. 

Students then moved on to career presentations. Students were able to gain insights on a variety of career paths through presentations by experienced leaders in various fields ranging from law, to physical therapy, to anesthesiology. With a quick break for Pizza provided by Mme. Thiel, students got to experience a full day of career exploration and networking. Special appearances by Mr. Brad Denning and beloved Archmere teacher Mr. Seltzer reminded students that their career journey does not have to be linear. 

Many students found the resources of career day to be insightful and provide some clarity about their career direction. Maddie Bell ‘23 says that she found career day to be “interesting.” She said, “It led me to be more interested in the careers that I was already pursuing.” Ava Courtney ‘23 also had a positive career day experience, but she found that she was “able to explore occupations (she) had never considered.” Others left feeling more confused and anxious than ever. Grace Lawlor ‘23 remarks, “some of the careers I expected to enjoy ended up disappointing me. I was left even more confused”.  

Whether their experience was positive or negative, through career day, junior students were able to gain insight on potential career choices.