Meeting is all work
South Haven youngsters learn about careers
Date posted online: Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Porter
County Sheriff Dave Lain chats with some members of
the
South Haven Boys & Girls Club before taking part
in a career night forum.
SOUTH HAVEN | Finding out the sports allegiances of
a panel of adults talking about their careers might
not help 9-year-old Jake Santmyre figure out what
his future job might be, but the South Haven
Elementary School student was curious, nonetheless.
He got his answer - about an even split between
rooting for the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis
Colts - and learned more when half a dozen adults
visited the South Haven Boys & Girls Club for a
recent career night.
"We just like to give the kids the opportunity to
learn about different careers and the opportunities
waiting for them when they get out of school," said
Nicole Slack, program director for the South Haven
club. "We try to do it twice a year."
Staff members invited 32 members involved with the
club's educational programs to attend the forum.
About 20 attended.
The panel included Dave Lain, Porter County's
sheriff; Todd Slack, an engineer with Turner
Construction in Chicago; Ronn and Deanna Thoreson, a
lawyer and paralegal with Schererville-based Knight,
Hoppe, Kurnik and Knight and Hagberg and LaTulips,
respectively; Kathy Bonaventura, director of the
Volunteer Center operated by the United Way of
Porter County; and Barbara Martin, Portage community
coordinator for The Times.
Questions ran the gamut from the types of college
classes needed for specific careers to participants'
favorite colors.
Like Jake, 9-year-old Heather Holzerbaugh was
interested in learning more about the panel's sports
favorites.
"I just want to know," she said.
Others, such as 10-year-old Anthony Tyler, had a
more serious goal. He was hoping to learn more about
the medical field.
"I want to be able to be a doctor," he said.
Prior to the question-and-answer session, the panel
of adults shared pizza with the club members. Some
of the youngsters joked that they were there just
for the pizza, but 10-year-old Brittany Sizemore
said the evening offered members a good opportunity.
"You get to listen to different people talk about
their job," she said.
