Students made their way through the rain to attend the Career Faire sessions on Jan. 25. The bi-annual event took place during an extended tutorial and allowed students to explore different careers and gain insight into life after college.

The event was run by the Community Partnership Resource Group, a group that is comprised of teachers and that began in the 04-05 school year when the first Career Fair took place. Sixty speakers were scheduled to present on the Friday event, an increase according to Guidance Counselor Leslie Ogawa-Boon. She commented that the number was usually around 40 in the past.

Planning for the event began during the previous school year said Ogawa-Boon and volunteer speakers were requested in the summer mailers that were sent to all of the students. She added that the school website and the alumni association were utilized to advertise for speakers.

Campus clubs and organizations also assisted the Community Partnership Resource Group for the event. Ogawa-Boon said Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) provided publicity for the event by making flyers. The Homestead Orientation Program (H.O.P.) Crew assisted speakers, while the Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) organized the food and the Technology and Electronics (TEC) team setup the AV equipment. The Guidance Department was also an assistance according to Ogawa-Boon.

The speakers this year ranged from a pilot, to video game designers to a forensic criminalist. Ogawa-Boon said, “Half are returning speakers and then the rest have been new and different kinds of careers every time.” She also explained that many of the speakers are parents and teachers.

Some of the speakers were also offering internships, according to Ogawa-Boon. She said the electrician and veterinarian were two that were planning on doing so.

The event allowed students to gain more insight into specific careers and also hear many different ways of pursuing a career. Junior Andy Zhang said he attended the session for the video game designer. “A lot of it was helpful.” he said. “You got lots of insight on the industry and how video games are made.” Although he found it helpful, Zhang commented that the faire could improve. He said adding a third session or expanding the event to fit over two days might make it better.

Junior Winston Hsu also agreed with the need for more than two sessions. He also said he found the faire helpful even though some of the speakers were not quite that engaging. “What they had to say was interesting, although how they said it was not,” he said.

Although it was a one-day event, Ogawa-Boon said the faire will tie into the tenth grade Guidance Department presentation which will take place on Monday. The Career Faire itself will not take place for another two years. In the meantime, monthly tutorial career speakers will be coming into the Career Center on alternate years.