Regional high school freshmen explore career paths at expo

In August 2022 I was appointed the publisher of a group of three community newspapers, collectively known in Forum Communications Co. as the "Lakes Group." I hadn't been a full-time publisher in a number of years, but I saw an opportunity to return to working in the community newspaper space. And while the gig only lasted 10 months before an eventual company restructuring, it was one of the most rewarding professional stints I've ever had. Hats off the the staffs at the Detroit Lakes Tribune, Perham Focus and Wadena Pioneer Journal for welcoming this old newspaper hack for a great run!

Oct. 14, 2022

By Devlyn Brooks

Bailee Hoban, a ninth-grader at Waubun-Ogema-White Earth Schools, was all smiles as she donned the hairnet, surgical gloves and medical gown that prepared her to perform surgery on one of two stuffed animals laid atop the makeshift operating table in the Lakeshirts Fieldhouse at Detroit Lakes High School on Wednesday afternoon.

Hoban picked up two medical instruments and readily dug into the body cavity of the stuffed animal lying on the table with a gauze field dressing laid over its abdomen. If Hoban was lucky and skillful enough she would dig out a piece of candy. If not, she might dig out a plastic piece of anatomy. She was one of the lucky ones to hit candy on the first try.

This exercise was sponsored by Detroit Lakes Animal Hospital, one of more than 70 businesses, service organizations and higher education institutions to participate in this year’s Detroit Lakes Regional Freshman Career Expo held at the high school.

In the span of a couple of hours, more than 400 students from five schools — Detroit Lakes, Pelican Rapids, Lake Park-Audobun, Frazee and Waubun-Ogema-White Earth — poured into the fieldhouse, where they visited with business owners, professionals and educators about various career pathways they may take. Students were exposed to careers in agriculture, food and natural resources; arts, communications and information systems; engineering, manufacturing and technology; health science technology; human services and business management and administration.

DLHS Academy Liaison Aaron Swenson said the goal of the expo is to showcase as many possible career pathways as possible to students at an age when they are making decisions about their high school trajectory. At DLHS, for instance, the school teaches five possible “career pathways” to help students determine what classes they should be taking to prepare them for later.

Swenson, who is also a 21st century skills teacher, said that studies in aptitude research demonstrate that by ages 14 or 15 most people’s aptitudes are generally set, and that we retain those same aptitudes for the rest of our lives. Therefore, if students are exposed to possible careers at about the same age, they can begin to make some informed decisions about their futures.

Ryan Stigman, a graphic design instructor at the MState-Moorhead campus, introduced students to the world of creative vocations. He said that as enrollment declines across all of higher ed, it’s important for the colleges to get out to meet as many students as possible. And for his campus, the schools along the U.S. Highway 10 corridor are a prime target.

“We want to show young people what’s out there for jobs, especially in the graphic design field,” he said. “We want to show them that as a creative person you can make a living doing things you love. When I was that age, there wasn't anything like this. I was a creative person and didn’t know that any of these jobs existed.”

For Tatum Bement, another student from Waubun-Ogema-White earth, he was excited to talk with DL Newspapers Sports Editor Jared Rubado who helped him to understand what it was like to work for a newspaper.

“I like writing. In English, we’re required to write in a journal, and I like to write about sports in my journal,” Bement said. “I’ve been learning a lot of new things here (at the expo).”

Jordan Schrupp, who teaches in the vet tech program at North Dakota State University in Fargo, was hanging out with Tiffany Brown at the Detroit Lakes Animal Hospital booth, where students “operated” on the stuffed animals. The booth was likely one of the most popular of all the exhibits at the expo, but they also had an unfair advantage. Schrupp and Brown brought with them their dogs, 4-year-old “Charlie” and 1-year-old “Ivy.” The kids flocked to the dogs like … well, moths to the flame. And the dogs didn’t disappoint. They gladly ate up the attention.

“We want to find the (students) who are really interested in this kind of work,” Schrupp said in between fielding questions about work and their dogs. “When they ask what classes to take, and we say, ‘Science,’ and they say, ‘We love science!’ They are the ones we want!”

Schrupp said she pairs up with Brown and the DL Animal Hospital each year at the expo because of the obvious connection. “We want to fuel that drive,” she said.

Greg Henderson, an assistant wildlife manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, visited with students about the potential of working in outdoors-related jobs. Henderson, who grew up in Detroit Lakes and now is based here, said this region is still a hot spot for outdoors careers. There are a lot of outdoors agencies to work for based out of Detroit Lakes.

But he also cautioned students that the DNR jobs were highly competitive. He said many DNR employees hold master’s degrees in their fields because “lots of people want to make their living working outdoors.”

Henderson said he feels fortunate to be in his line of work because he knew in fifth grade that he wanted to work outdoors as he loved hunting and fishing.

“I know when I come to these events, there is a kid, or two, like me. … Ones who show a legitimate interest in outdoor work,” he said. “At their age, I would have loved to be able to talk to someone in the field.”

Pauline Tunheim, a paraprofessional at DLHS, said she’s been to “more than a few” of the freshman expos.

“They help open up the students’ eyes to the variety of jobs out there. When you’re a teenager, you don’t get the chance to see all that many jobs. So this serves as a learning experience,” she said. She added that allowing the students to see, touch and experience things such as the mechanical equipment, or computer gear, or “operate” on stuffed animals helps students who learn in experiential ways.

“I wish we would have had something like this,” she said. “We did, but not until we were seniors. That’s too late.”