Staff Reports
AmeriCorps hosted its 16th annual Career Fair for area sophomores from Poplar Bluff and Twin Rivers high schools on Oct. 4 at Three Rivers College.
"We're going to empower you with some info today to help you make some choices really, really soon," AmeriCorps Program Director Becky Winters said to the students. "This can help tremendously as you look toward your future."
Students selected sessions from a range of topics that included natural resources, business, health services, human services, arts and communications, and industry and technology. Several faculty and staff members from the R-I district joined industry professionals in presenting on the career fields in an effort to help sophomores narrow their interests.
"According to research, the earlier you choose, your likelihood to succeed is tenfold," stated communication arts teacher Dan Beckwith, a first year instructor at PBHS. One advantage of choosing a job in education is that the school calendar is conducive to raising a family, he noted.
"[Teachers] are generally happy," Beckwith said. "When I was at a factory, I used the term 'work.' At school, I say: 'I'm going to school.'"
Before breaking off into sessions, students gathered in the Tinnin Fine Arts Center to learn about dual credit offerings available through the community college, programming at the Technical Career Center and the A+ scholarship.
Barbie Hon, the district A+ coordinator, informed students that based on GPA, attendance, citizenship, and tutoring/mentoring hours, the A+ program can cover all or part of college tuition. Solely available to Missouri students, the scholarship must be used within four years of graduation, unless a student goes on to serve the military, then an extension is granted.
Also serving as vocational resource educator of the TCC, Hon advised students that choosing a program in technical career education for junior year provides an opportunity to save money over returning to school as an adult. A tour of the TCC will be provided next month.