Local Students Explore Career Options

On October 30 – November 1, 40 high school juniors had the opportunity to job shadow local professionals through the Explore Experience, a program coordinated by the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority.  Explore Experience gives high school juniors an opportunity to spend three days exploring careers of interest alongside local employers.  

Sadoth Fraire works on painting part of the set for the Snow Queen during his Explore Experience at the Creative Arts Guild. His mentor, Bradley Wilson, looks on.

Matt Brown of Mohawk Industries with David Travisano, Jonathan Sanchez and Chesalon Dean during their Explore Experience.

Participating students and employers agreed that the program was beneficial.  All responding students and employers agreed that it was a positive experience and reinforced the need for postsecondary education.  Moreover, all responding students agreed that the Explore Experience provided them with a variety of learning opportunities, assisting them with the exploration of their career choice.

Amber Stephens relaxes in one of the donor chairs at Blood Assurance where she completed her Explore Experience. Amber wants a career in phlebotomy.

One student said, “What I like about the Explore Experience is that I learned more things each day that I was there and the fact that everyone was friendly there and encouraged me in the career I wanted to do after high school.”  Another student said “I liked how it gave me an in depth idea of how to go about preparing myself for the position that I want to do for a career.”

Pictured are seven of the eight students who enjoyed their Explore Experience at Shaw Industries. Students shadowed in departments of their career choice. Areas included engineering, customer service, accounting, nursing, video, risk management, information technology and international business.

The local businesses that participated in this educational program believed that Explore Experience was a good opportunity for the students and applauded the Joint Development Authority and its Workforce Development Director, Barbara Ward, for offering and organizing the Explore Experience program. 

The next Explore Experience is scheduled for April 2013.  If your business would like to host a student please contact Barbara Ward (ward@daltonchamber.org) for more information.

Kayla Rogers, from Southeast High, displays the cupcakes that she made at Irene's Cakes and Confections during her Explore Experience.

Special thanks to employers who participated in the Explore Experience:

• Blood Assurance
• Creative Arts Guild
• Dalton Animal Care
• Dalton Ear Nose & Throat
• Dalton Fire Department
• Dalton Police Department
• Dart Drugs
• Deb McDaniel at Dr. Frank Patterson's Office
• Dr. Steve Knox
• Dr. John Richmond
• Friendship House
• Grove Level Baptist Church
• Irene's Cakes and Confections
• Mohawk Industries
• Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center
• Peds Care
• RossWoods Adult Daycare
• Shaw Industries
• St. Joseph's Clinic
• White's Pediatrics
• Whitfield County District Attorney Office
• Whitfield County Health Department
• Whitfield County School Teachers: Tammy Freeman, Jessica Sills and Jennifer Long