(March 30, 2001) -- Although junior Manushak Kostanyan is currently taking an animation class at Clark, she said she was still amazed at the extensive effort animators put into creating a cartoon when she toured Dreamworks Studios in Glendale, courtesy of the job shadowing program.

Kostanyan, an aspiring animator, commented, “I knew what I wanted to do, but I needed to explore how it was done.”

Kostanyan and several other students observed a cartoon in progress and how computers served a major role in creating these animations. Although they did not have any hands-on experience during the trip, students received  gifts such as posters, pencils and magnets.

The Dreamworks tour as well as other job shadowing trips are planned by health and P.E. teacher Randy Tiffany. With the help of a program called Pathfinder that finds community and business partners, Tiffany matches up students with the job of their choice.
Upcoming job shadowing events include a visit to Wildlife Waystation and the possibility of going to the playhouse A Noise Within.

In the past students had the opportunity to oversee jobs in companies like Warner Bros., Disney and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Two students even flew to Sacramento to observe legislative sessions in the Senate and Assembly chambers.

“It was really exciting watching the politicians go up and speak passionately about what they believed in,” commented junior Vrezh Oganisyan, who flew to Sacramento Feb. 20.
Other students received first-hand experience of being a security guard when they visited the Burbank Hilton Hotel, and attempted to solve a mock computer theft.

Junior Chris Mahrouk said it was fun dressing up in a security uniform and talking on walkie-talkies.

The job shadowing program originated at Clark three years ago. According to Tiffany, student participation  rose from 20 students during the first year to 75 students as of this month.

“Job shadowing gives them an idea of what it is really like,” said Tiffany.

However, the job shadowing program is not new to the district, since every high school in Glendale has implemented it.

Senior Anahit Trdatyan, who attended Glendale Adventist Medical Center March 20, said, “Students get a chance to know what really happens in the field they want to pursue. Because of the job shadowing experience, I saw the reality of working in a hospital.”