Approximately 2,300 10th and 12th grade students from Central Louisiana gathered at the Randolph Riverfront Center in Alexandria on November 20 and 21 for the Students Exploring Career Opportunities Expo.
SECO is an interactive career expo presented by The Orchard Foundation, The Rapides Foundation and nine public school districts in Central Louisiana.
Now in its ninth year, SECO welcomed public, private and home-schooled students from Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Vernon and Winn parishes. In all, 2,306 students attended the event.
SECO is designed to introduce students to careers they are interested in, while also introducing them to careers they may have never even considered. Seventy businesses participated in this year’s event, in categories such as finance and marketing, education, agriculture, public safety, architecture and construction, healthcare and human services.
“This is one of the most fun environmental conservation education events we do,” said Stacy Blomquist, Public Affairs Specialist with the Kisatchie National Forest. “Students make a beeline for us. We have the hissing cockroach and we bring out the snakes – it’s something to get their attention and then we encourage them to consider the U.S. Forest Service as a career choice.”
Blomquist said students are sometimes surprised to learn that not all U.S. Forest Service jobs happen in the forest. She explains the U.S. Forest Service has jobs for foresters, but there are jobs for accountants and engineers, too.
“This is why this event is so wonderful,” Blomquist said. “Maybe something here will spark their interest. And, if they want to stay in the region, the Forest Service is a good place to look.”
Some students, like Rebecca Lemmons, a 10th grader from Glenmora High School, arrived at SECO with a career already in mind.
“I’m planning to be a physician, probably pediatrics, because I love kids,” Lemmons said. “I love understanding the human body and how it works.”
But, she’s open to learning about other careers in healthcare.
“I’m looking at other careers in medicine while I’m here,” Lemmons said. “I’m exploring what else is out there, and I’m interested in visiting with the colleges at the Expo to find out which college is the best for a career in medicine and finding out what I should major in.”
One aspect of SECO that sets it apart from other career fairs, is that businesses are asked to provide students with “hands-on” activities connected to their industry with the goal of fostering student engagement and ultimately sparking an interest in future careers.
For instance, Rapides Regional Medical Center let students provide first aid assistance in a simulated trauma situation, Acadian Ambulance Service coached students through a simulated medical emergency from the back of an ambulance, and Pineville Fire Department held competitions to see which student could dress out in emergency gear the fastest. Students were also able to work heavy equipment through a training simulator and see the jaws of life in action.
“I thought all of the booths were kind of fun,” said 10th grader Mark Mertens from Pineville High School, who plans to go into physical therapy. “My favorite so far was the one with Louisiana Christian University where we were able to act like a news reporter.”
Students were able to ask SECO presenters about salaries in their respective industries, the type of training or education needed and what they like most about their jobs.
“It’s been fun,” said Pineville High School 10th grader Regin Conway. “It does make you want to do all the careers that are here. I think it does help people who don’t know what they want to do. There are lots of jobs to choose from.”
The purpose of SECO is to allow 10th and 12th grade students to learn about career opportunities available in Central Louisiana – and what type of education or training they need to succeed in those careers – so students can choose the best path into the workforce. Since 10th grade students choose to pursue a TOPS University diploma or a Jump Start TOPS Tech diploma at the end of their sophomore year, this expo comes at the perfect time.
“Everyone was really getting into it,” said De’Asia August, a 10th grader from Bolton High School. “I didn’t know what to expect when they told us we were coming to SECO. It’s been fun. It’s not like a regular field trip.”
Through participation in SECO, business and community leaders play an active role in helping students make informed career decisions, while making a long-term investment for a better Cenla workforce in the future.
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