Students at Chapala’s Preparatoria Regional (high school) were introduced to a diverse panorama of professional and vocational callings during the Career Day program held at the school campus on Thursday, May 1, under the direction and sponsorship of the Lake Chapala Society (LCS).
Through the series of special activities running seamlessly from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Expo Vocacion agenda offered an opportunity for high schoolers to hear and interact personally with individuals who earn their living in a wide range of jobs.
According to event coordinator Glorine Barnhardt, the program was geared for junior and senior year students who are the verge of making important decisions on the education and job pathways they will follow after graduation.
The aims of the day were to encourage students to think about future directions; recognize their interests, aptitudes, and abilities; become aware of a broad scope of career options; broaden their aspirations beyond stereotypes of gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status; and learn about the type of education or training required for specific jobs – all through networking with real people from the lakeside area work force.
Presenters recruited to speak at the career fair included Ferdinand Reyes, mechanic, FRATS auto shop; Carlos Alberto Diaz, journalist-Chapala press chief; Javier Zaragoza, Ajijic artist; Abel Martinez, chef, La Nueva Posada; Yolanda Alvarez, occupational psychologist, IBM; Lorena Barragan, real estate agent, Hernandez Realty; Lidia Zamudio, nurse, Lake Med Center; Ricardo Razo, investment banker, Multiva; Daniel Muro, solar power engineer, e-Sun Energy; Amanda Murray, graphic designer, Ajijic Real Estate; Bea Gallagher, independent nutritionist; Jorge de Santiago, fitness trainer, Zona Fitness Gym; Patricia Quiñones, yoga instructor, Respiro Wellness Center; and a team of paramedics from Cruz Roja Chapala. Motivational speaker Victor Aldana Diaz also appeared for a series of complementary sessions addressed to small groups of the students.
With the aim of fine tuning the program for future career orientation events, students and classroom teachers were asked to fill out evaluation forms to provide valuable feedback on their experiences.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">