It is never too early for high school students like Brielle Mauntel to begin exploring their future career paths.
Mauntel, a Mission Early College High School freshman, was one of 3,700 students who attended the Socorro Independent School District’s Career Con XXL Oct. 16 at Eastlake High School.
During the annual career exploration fair, students from Socorro ISD’s six comprehensive high schools gathered valuable information on leading industry careers and higher education opportunities, empowering them to make informed decisions about their futures.
"I'm learning about the kind of things I can do after high school, things that will help me get a career and be financially stable," said Mauntel, who visited the NextForce booth to learn about their services. NextForce assists students in preparing for post-secondary education or entering the workforce.
“This one's actually pretty cool because it helps you pay for college, which I am interested in because I haven't found how I’m going to pay for college,” Mauntel added.
Career Con primarily targets 10th graders in the Financial Literacy and Dollars and Sense class who may be contemplating changes to their endorsements. However, the fair also welcomed freshmen and juniors, providing them with an opportunity to learn more about various professional careers.
Students met with employers such as El Paso Electric to learn about the necessary certifications, skills, and education requirements for getting hired. They also discussed apprenticeships and internship opportunities.
As a talent acquisition partner with El Paso Electric, Abraham Saenz was at the career fair looking for future talent. The company offers a Lineworker Internship Program for entry-level candidates and internship programs for college students.
Saenz tested students’ knowledge of the company and handed out prizes, including blue plastic hard hats. He said the company had openings for trade positions as well as for candidates with two-year or four-year college degrees.
“We're always looking for talent. I'm a first-generation college student, and we try to guide them into a career path,” Saenz said. “We try to answer as many questions as they (have) and hopefully be an inspiration for them to pursue a career.”
SISD Business and Industry Coordinator Brenda K. Gonzalez said she was excited that SISD was all in for providing students with opportunities to discover and explore new career paths.
“We bring business and industry out for our students to be able to have an opportunity to explore different types of careers, trades and colleges,” Gonzalez said. “So, we have everybody from the fire department; we have Border Patrol, El Paso Electric and the water company and many more coming out here and giving them the opportunity to see what is out there.”
As Samara Cameron walked by the booths, Groomology Pet Salon and Spa caught her attention. An employee was grooming a poodle in the background while students spoke to a representative about a career in pet grooming.
Cameron, a junior at Pebble Hills High School, had been interested in a career as a pet groomer since middle school but did not know how to pursue it. She was eager to talk to the Groomology representative about preparing for her future career.
“I have like a love for animals, and I’ve always wanted to know all about grooming. I’ve always been interested in it, but I never had a reason to pursue it,” Cameron said. “So, being here is making it easy for me to have the knowledge so I can go into it.”