Over October and November, College Possible Omaha held career panels across our nine partner high schools: Bellevue East High School, Benson High School, Millard South High School, North High, Northwest High School, Papillion La Vista High School, Ralston High School, South High, and Westside High School.
We opened these career panels to all students at each school, not only to answer their career questions but also to help recruit interested juniors to our program. Panelists responded to queries such as, “Think back to when you were a high school senior. What did you envision yourself majoring in and doing after you graduated? How have your plans changed?” and “What college experiences prepared you for your career?”
At Northwest High School, we were even able to host a career panel during the school day, resulting in attendance by more than 100 students. The remaining career panels were held as after-school events.
Exposure is key,” says Aminatu Issaka, College Possible’s director of college access. “When young professionals share their journey with students, whether these students know their career path or are lost in the process, their knowledge sparks curiosity and interest. Even if it’s just one student that shows up, the impact is still there. It’s an opportunity to let students know what’s out there and potentially how to get there.”
We want to thank our partner high schools for welcoming our panelists; our panelists for taking the time to speak with our students; and our College Possible Champions for helping us recruit panelists and serving as moderators.
Organizations represented at the career panels included Children’s Square U.S.A., Conagra Brands, Creighton University, Elevate Destinations, FNBO, Healthspan Chiropractic, Immigrant Legal Center, KMTV, LinkedIn, National Indemnity Company, Nebraska Methodist Health System, Northwestern Mutual, Project Harmony, Sarpy County, Sprinkk, Triage Staffing, Union Pacific, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of Nebraska Medical Center, and the U.S. Air Force.
