Kadena High School hosts Career Day

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jennifer Herring
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Several Kadena organizations came together recently to aid local high school students in their pursuit of answers to that ever-important, ever-present question: What do I do after graduation?

Sponsored by the Kadena Company Grade Officer Council, the Air Force Cadet Officer Mentor Action Program and the Kadena High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), the Career Day held March 11 at KHS offered students the opportunity to learn about more than 50 different career fields in the military.

"I think career day is really useful," said Aaron Avila, a KHS student and Air Force JROTC member. "Sometimes students don't have the initiative to go out and learn about other careers. This way, all the choices are in one location and it makes it easier for students to learn about the career they find most interesting."

Students weren't the only ones to benefit from Career Day. Many military members were pleased to have the opportunity to speak proudly about what they do.

"I have the best job in the Air Force," said Staff Sgt. Molly Callen, an explosive ordinance disposal technician with the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron. "When a student says that they are interested in my job, I try to give them a brief outline of how we train to respond to any kind of ordinance item or explosive that could be a threat. Career Day gives students the opportunity to ask questions to people who are actually engaged in the job on a day-to-day basis."

More than just job descriptions, Career Day volunteers like Capt. Katie Austin, a pharmacist with the 18th Medical Group, talked to students about how to get where they are and what it is that makes their jobs special.

"When students come up to me and ask about my job, I not only tell them about patient interaction but we talk about prerequisites for college, salary and the different job options within the career field," said Capt. Austin. "I love the patient interaction and educating the patients on their medication options. I like that patients can trust me to answers any questions they might have about their medication therapy."