Stuyvesant Hosts Second Annual Careers & Future Pathways Fair

Following the administration of the PSAT/NMSQT on October 17, Stuyvesant hosted its second annual school-wide Careers & Future Pathways Fair. In place of eight-minute periods, students of all grades had the opportunity to explore eight different industries, ranging from medicine to public service, and learn from over 100 alumni and parent speakers who shared their expertise and guidance through workshops and panels.

The fair was split into three different sessions, allowing students to hear from a variety of individuals. The first two sessions, each of which was 40 minutes long, were assigned using the results of an interest form that students were asked to fill out prior to the event. The third and final session was a new addition compared to last year’s career fair, as students were given the option to attend any available room for 28 minutes.
Many students appreciated the format of the fair and the variety of speakers available, including some rooms with multiple speakers, reflecting on the fair with enthusiasm. “[It was] helpful [with] considering potential career paths,” sophomore Jason Chan said. “[It was] effective, especially if both of [the speakers’] interests complement each other really well.” Chan added that student engagement was greatly aided by the personalities of the guest speakers and played an equally important role with the actual content of their discussions. “It added a lot of character,” he said.

Sophomore Sam Bokor attended sessions on law in Latin America, ESL education, and positions at the New York Times. He was quite intrigued by the presentations he attended, as he learned about niches that he said he “didn’t consider to be something you could do.” Specifically, Bokor stated that he was surprised by the sheer scale of the business components in play at the New York Times, as well as the opportunities to practice law in multiple jurisdictions.

Chan was assigned rooms oriented toward finance and business. He said, “[I] want to pursue a career in education or research.” He suggested including speakers from a wider array of industries and showcasing professions that aren’t “money-grubbing,” which he believes would make the fair more helpful for students like himself with varied interests.

However, some students considered not attending the career fair due to the shortened day. “I had a ton of friends who were considering skipping,” Chan said. Despite attending the event, he stated that he was also falling asleep, which seemed to be a common sentiment among the student body.

Some students thought that the length of each session could be altered for a more engaging experience. “By the end, each session was getting really boring,” Bokor said. “There’s only a certain amount that even an expert can talk about for an hour without it getting boring.” He suggested five shorter sessions as opposed to three to make it more beneficial. 

English teacher Annie Thoms, one of the organizers of the fair, discussed the third “mingling” session that was added. “Students were able to find presenters who were in careers that were more specifically attuned to their interests,” Thoms said. “We [couldn’t] do that perfectly with matching, especially when a lot of students [didn’t] fill out the choice form.”

Anat Lubetzky, an associate professor of physical therapy at New York University, spoke at the event for students interested in pursuing medicine and health. A teacher in addition to a doctor, she encourages students to practice public speaking and time management to be successful in her field. “Both professions require a lot of interaction with people and educating others, so I’d say [to] embrace any opportunity you have to stand in front of people, speak, present, etc. I also think that the most important things in high school are learning how to learn, how to manage your time, what kind of learner you are, how you find time for yourself (e.g., how do I find time to move and exercise even when things get super busy),” she said in an email interview. “You will learn everything you need to know for the profession over time, but good learning habits and time management skills go a long way.”

Lubetzsky’s presentation was centered around physical therapy and its importance. “I hope they learned what physical therapy is [and] how helpful it is for people of all ages and for many different conditions,” she said. “I talked about how physical therapy combines empathy, compassion, and lots of interaction with people with some ‘hard core’ scientific inquiry and deep understanding of the human body and its different systems (muscles/bones; brain; lungs/heart, etc.).”

Abraham Chang was another educator at the event. An award-winning published poet, he spoke on the arts and publishing, which is a field he never expected to end up in. He shared his story to teach students not to tunnel vision their way through school. “I hope that students were encouraged by my experience, especially how I was able to pivot from what I thought was going to be my intended career path and profession (in psychology, biology, medical research) to something even more unexpected and rewarding in book publishing and the arts—now as a full-time author,” Chang said in an email interview.

Chang’s experience speaking at the career fair meant more than just preparing students and fielding questions. As an alumnus, returning to Stuyvesant over 30 years later reminded him of his time as a student, when he had sat in the same exact desks of the students he was now offering guidance to. “Every time I step back into the building, I am filled with nostalgia and good memories. Returning to my alma mater as a speaker is truly a great honor, and it is an occasion for me to pause and reflect on my accomplishments and the accomplishments of all my classmates since graduating in 1994,” he said. “I am truly humbled that I get the privilege to share what I’ve learned with current Stuyvesant students.”

“It [felt] so much more valuable to have a situation where students, alumni, and other community members can discuss life, career choices, and different paths [...] [It seemed] so much more valuable than super short periods for the afternoon,” Thoms said, reflecting on the fair. “It is a testament to the Stuyvesant community and the alumni community that so many alumni [and parents] are eager to come in and talk with current students.”