Fair opens freshmen's eyes to careers

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers FUTURE THOUGHTS—Beatriz Lopez, 14, left, and Mayra DeAvila, 15, create a poster for the second annual Rio Mesa High School Career Fair for freshmen on April 22. The event includes presentations by professionals from a wide variety of fields and an opportunity for students to participate in question-and-answer sessions with presenters. Freshmen at Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard are planning the second annual Career Fair for their peers.

The fair is from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Wed., April 22 in the school's gym.

English teacher Carl Melhorn has enlisted the freshman students in his classes to organize the career fair from start to finish.

Though Oxnard Union High School District sponsors a fair for juniors and seniors, Melhorn said he wants to expose the school's 14and 15yearolds to an array of professions early in high school so they can charter their academic course.

Danny Rodriguez, now a sophomore, was Melhorn's student last year and helped organize the first career fair for freshmen. Danny said he'd only considered having a legal career before the fair, but the event opened his eyes to professions he'd never thought about before. He's now interested in becoming a business manager or an Xray technician or entering the military or hospitality field.

"It gives you a big perspective," the 15-year-old said of the fair.

In planning and organizing the fair, Melhorn's students learn skills such as responsibility, initiative and teamwork, which will serve them in school and life. For instance, they've written to local professionals requesting presentations about their line of work and to grocers asking for donations of food so they can feed the presenters.

"It's thinking outside yourself," Melhorn said.

Some of the professionals expected to be at the career fair are a pilot, a physical therapist, a veterinarian and a probation officer. New presenters this year include a midwife, a mortician, a tattoo artist and representatives from vocational colleges. A couple of presenters are Rio Mesa graduates.

Melhorn expects about 200 freshmen to come through the fair every hour.

—Michelle Knight