Area high school presents careers for progressing pupils to ponder

Since early January, USC Aiken senior Jessica Crout has served as a student intern in English at Wagener-Salley High School.

"It's been rewarding and fascinating to put the skills I've been trained for into use," she said at a Career Day event Thursday. "I want to show them a world beyond Wagener-Salley and that they can move on to good careers."

Crout did just that in a direct way. When one speaker couldn't make it, she invited her husband Stuart, a UPS Brokerage employee in Aiken.

"I wanted to emphasize that I graduated from Wagener-Salley," said Stuart Crout, who has an accounting degree from USCA. "I have other co-workers who also work for UPS and are doing well. I just wanted to encourage these students about the future."

The Career Day brought many different professions to the high school - including forestry, nursing, manufacturing, human resources, law enforcement, athletic management, higher education and more.

"This is a wonderful learning experience," said Wagener-Salley junior Christopher Widener. "I've been to (sessions) in engineering and human resources and would love to get involved in mechanical engineering."

Career opportunities in a small community can be limited, said teacher Allen Williams, the event coordinator.

"We certainly need this for our children and want them to get out and see what's available for them," he said. "To see children who know what they want to do is rare. If we can help them find that path, it's very rewarding."

Hair stylist Lauren Hartley, who works in Aiken, is a 2006 Wagener-Salley graduate. She drew a large group of prospective students to the classroom of cosmetology instructor Brenda Sturkie, who is Hartley's aunt.

"I try to set up my lab as if it's a real salon, so they can feel what that's like," Sturkie said. "We've had 100 percent of our students get licensed the last 10 years, and it's been fun. I invited Lauren, who works at Cheveux Salon Spa. She's close to their age and gives them a really good idea of what they can do someday."

The faculty also wanted to get other people with outside experience, said Principal Pat Keating.

"We wanted to show relevance, how the speakers could explain how their careers related to the core subjects we offer," Keating said. "We had a wide variety of careers because diversity is so important."

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.