Unlocking career paths: Centralia High School job shadow day

By Adyson Rackley, Contributing Writer

Job shadow day at high schools is becoming a growing trend in education. ​

Centralia High School (CHS) juniors and seniors participated in the fad on November 15. By spending time alongside experts in their chosen field, students are given the opportunity to gain knowledge and professional insights. 

Job shadowing shows students what their possible real-life career and its responsibilities could look like. It helps to reveal if the student’s future career is a good fit for them. Utilizing this day is crucial to the upperclassmen who will soon make their mark on the world. Intentionally learning from someone in the workforce provides further knowledge in the field that sometimes a teacher can’t in a school setting. 

This event will benefit the seniors who are planning to go straight into the workforce after they graduate, as well as the seniors who are taking the college or trade school route. Being a teenager is hard enough, so getting insight to what their future could look like is reassuring. 

Post secondary counselor Mrs. Kasey Ellis believes that a network of contacts can be acquired through this day. “Listening to a travel nurse or a Sydenstricker salesperson talk about their job does not give nearly as clear of a picture as getting to be alongside them for a whole day and watch them do their job,” stated Ellis. 

Senior JP Grieshaber chose to shadow a heavy equipment operator at Seth Paul Excavating in Columbia, MO. JP plans to pursue this profession at State Tech next fall. “How the equipment works, knowledge of my future career and what my day-to-day work will look like,” replied Grieshaber when asked what he’s most excited about to learn during his shadowing experience. Drew Korb, another CHS senior, chose to job shadow a state trooper. Korb’s long term career goal is to “climb the ranks of the state troopers.” When inquired if Korb had a personal connection to this career field he stated, “No, but I really like to help people.”

The CHS juniors and seniors were very excited to job shadow someone of their potential future career. Job shadowing is very helpful and Ellis stated, “I wish we had been told to go job shadow someone when I was in high school.”

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