Sixth graders gazed into their future thanks to the debut of a new Career Pathways event at Seven Hills. This “career day” style event began as a way for parents to volunteer their time by sharing professional expertise, and to give students a broader sense of how they might turn their interests, skills, and passions into a career.

The morning included 20 parent speakers from a wide range of industries including business, engineering, journalism, medicine, law, sports, technology, and others who volunteered to share their journey. Keynote speaker, Amity Millhiser, kicked-off the event with three important questions to consider: “What are you passionate about? What are you good at? What does the world need you to do?” Voted one of the 50 most powerful women in technology, Amity is the Chief Clients Officer for PwC and the aunt of two Seven Hills alumni.

In typical Seven Hills fashion, this wasn’t a one-way, lecture-style event. Student moderators led a panel discussion with Amity and two other speakers before splitting off into small groups for deeper conversations with guest professionals. Groups were organized into relatable professions, such as “The Doctors” and “The Energy Experts” to “The Lawyer” and “The Sports Marketing Expert.” Each student had the opportunity to choose four mini sessions where they learned more about different career paths and had the chance to ask their own questions.

The small group discussions proved to be an eye-opening experience. Many students remarked about the advice they heard from one speaker who noted the “traditional job route” will look different in 10 to 20 years because of the ever-changing nature of the economy. While our sixth graders won’t be hitting the job market for a few more years, students left with positivity, curiosity, and a sense of resiliency. While you “may not always get the job you want the first time around,” remarked one student, “keep coming back to it if that’s what you want to do.” Wise words.