Posted at: 03/11/2010 5:04 PM | KSAX.com
By: Megan Matthews

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Career Day in Brainerd Attracts 2,000 Students

BRAINERD, Minn. - Thousands of Central Minnesota High School Students crowded to the largest "Career Exploration Day" in Minnesota Thursday.

Students from Wadena, Staples and Menahga high schools were at the Brainerd Civic Center to learn about different careers by talking to professionals in their field of choice.

"Some brought juniors.  Some brought seniors.  A couple of schools brought everybody," Bridges Workplace Connection Chair Jeff Wig said.

Amelia Pho and Jada Melton are juniors at Menahga High School, and they said they enjoyed the day.

"It's very educational," Melton said.

"It's very interesting to see all the different things they have here and what we can learn about," Pho explained.

There were careers from horticulture to the Minnesota State Patrol and in all about 200 careers, as well as professionals, set up booths to talk with students about what they want to be when they grow up.

Melton said she wants to pursue teaching and education, while Pho is interested in the business and financial world.

"Talking to students and really pushing them in and engaging their interest," Wig said.

For students who wanted to try being a firefighter, Brainerd Fire Department was there running a simulation of what it's like to go inside a burning house.

Melton felt what it was like to touch a pig lung and see if a career in medicine is in her future.

"No.  It was bad," Melton said.

Ultimately Bridges Workplace Connection put on the event for the second year in a row to help students figure out a career path earlier. 

"We have started perhaps early enough in past years.  We have online resources but to have a live event where a young person can talk to someone who does that line of work, and there are more than 100 career paths represented here, that's pretty exciting," Dan McElroy, Commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), said.

Students found the day fun and helpful.

"Yeah...it kind of explains to us what exactly we'll be experiencing," Pho said.

Written for the web by Megan Matthews

megan@ksax.com