MOUNT VERNON — The Knox County Career Center cafeteria was transformed into a project exhibition hall on Tuesday to celebrate another successful season of the Mentorship for Leadership program. John Jurkowitz, gifted coordinator of the Knox County Educational Service Center, and Lori Beach, gifted coordinator for Mount Vernon City Schools, coordinated the program and presentation activities.
Jurkowitz talked about how important mentorship is, citing famous mentors in history such as Socrates and Plato, and in entertainment, such as Obi 1 Kenobi and Batman. A mentorship is a sustained relationship between a youth and an adult, he said. It helps a child realize his or her potentialities and discover his or her most optimum career path.
“It is our hope,” Beach told the students, “that you do not find your career path by default.”
After deciding on a career to explore, the students spend a minimum of 18 hours with their mentors, attend four seminars, participate in two job shadowing observations and prepare a presentation about their experiences. The students’ presentations, some in poster and report form, others in an electronic format, demonstrate they are able to gain in-depth knowledge of a particular occupation. They also illustrate how the mentorship experience helps the students decide whether they wish to pursue that career.
Rebecca Ryan, a junior at Mount Vernon High School, learned about pediatric nursing with her mentor, Dawn Kramer. Ryan said her experience at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus made her realize that pediatrics is probably not the field she wants to enter, even though she has wanted to be a doctor since the age of 3. After seeing all the sick children, she decided to change her career path.
“I would like to be a kindergarten teacher,” she said, “or a wedding coordinator. The mentorship program was good because it made me look at what I really want in a job, if nothing else.”
The mentorship program also helped Fredericktown student Lyndsey Earnest decide that her chosen field — zoology — is not for her. She said she liked most of the time she spent with zoologist Jim McCormac, but observing and assisting with a deer head dissection was the deal breaker.
Alice Noll’s daughter, Kristen, spent time with percussionist Eric Paton. Alice said it was a great opportunity for her daughter to go and experience different types of music.
“It gave her a different avenue, because before she didn’t think about becoming a professor of music,” said Noll.
Kristen, a student at East Knox High school, said she liked learning about different areas of world percussion she hadn’t experienced before. The mentorship program helped her confirm that what she wants to do with her life is play drums.
Mount Vernon High School student Alex Parker worked with engineer Greg Lortie.
“I found out that I have chosen the right career path for myself,” said Parker.
Three students gave formal presentations during the program. Brittany Hopkins, East Knox High School, worked with veterinarian David Dubusky. She said that besides learning a lot about the occupation of veterinary medicine, she learned alot about herself.
“This is what I want to do,” she said.
John Lortie, MVHS, mentored with record producer Celeste Friedman. He said he chose that field because “music is a big part of my life.” During his mentorship, Lortie wrote a song for a benefit concert, and performed it in front of a live audience.
Also from Mount Vernon High School, Ben Aune did field work with Jeff Reichwein, an archeologist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Aune’s PowerPoint presentation detailed how the pair explored potential mining sites for traces of past civilizations. Aune said he loves history and science, and discovered through the mentorship opportunity that archeology might be a good way to combine the two.
Other mentorship program participants include Patrick Schuster, Centerburg High School, aviation with pilot Chuck Whitney; Ciera Awwiller, Fredericktown, nursing with Susan Hale; Neil Brown, Tyler Cunningham and Tasha Elkins, all from FHS and mentoring with Scott Dickerson of MKC engineering and architects; Emily Gants, FHS, with Jill Fessler in obstetric nursing; Scott Love, FHS, Select Sires; Jordan Brooks, MVHS, with lawyer John Aebi; Meredith Dailey, MVHS, cardiac care with Randy Orsborn; Katie Doup, broadcasting with Jenny Murray; Tim Hartong and Chris Jaymes, MVHS, engineering with Bart Moody; Jessica McQuigg, MVHS, biochemistry with Professor Hofferberth; Corey Street, MVHS, car sales with Michael Decosky; and Gabe Urig, architecture with Steve Stein.
In addition to the mentoring professionals, Jurkowitz said other volunteers are important to the program. During the seminars, Lisa Hathaway of The Freedom Center talked about team building, Peg Seng discussed health and wellness, psychologist Rick Stutzman spoke on core values and personality, and Kristie Kadlec of the career center talked about evaluating career choices.
Doreen Bercaw and the chef and catering class prepared and served the mentorship dinner, and Robin Stacy and her students in hospitality and facility care services created the place settings and decorations for the evening’s program.
