05/08/2006
Coventry students connect with career paths
By: Jessica Selby , Daily Times

Sarah Williams wants to be a criminalist.

At a career fair last week, the Coventry High School senior was able to quiz working FBI agents on what their jobs are like.

And the FBI agents got to hear a presentation from Williams on the internship work she has done with the Warwick Police Department's Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
This year, Coventry High School's biannual career fair had an added dimension.

Rather than being limited to the typical - local professionals offering information on their fields, senior Business Co-op and 10th-grade Capstone Career Research project students were given space to display their career exploration projects.

"We thought that bringing these students down to be a part of the career fair exhibit would be a great way to introduce to the business community our need for their support," said Donna Hutson, school-based coordinator at Coventry High. "In accordance with the new proficiency-based requirements, our Capstone students need to have proof of job shadowing, so we were hoping that, when the professionals saw what our students did this year, they might consider taking on an intern next year."

Kim Blanchette, a 10th-grader interested in early childhood development, was there showing what she did as a volunteer at Little Oakers preschool. As part of her display board, Blanchette had pictures indicating how many of her volunteer hours were spent as well as a journal with multiple entries indicating what her take on the experience was.

"Having the student exhibit here gave the professionals the opportunity to take a break from their presentations to view what some of our students have done," Hutson said. "It also gives the students the opportunity to showcase themselves to professionals in their particular field."

"Since I started in September, I've been to homicide scenes, suicides and calls for breaking and entry," Williams said of her internship with the Warwick police. "The experience has been wonderful. The officers have all been very respectful to me and it has made me want to do this as a career even more."

"The FBI agents talked to me a little bit about how they became FBI agents and what it is like to do what they do," Williams said. "I think that would be so interesting to do."

One of her classmates, Trevor Dorchies, has been interning at NBC channel 10 since January. During his time at the television station, he has shadowed some of the general assignment reporters, learned how to use a Teleprompter by watching Frank Coletta present the morning show and operated some of the camera equipment.

"My goal is to work at ESPN," Dorchies said. "I know that it will not be easy and that the hours are long - they explained that to me at Channel 10 - but I am willing to try. Being there just strengthened my opinion."