On September 10th, our school provided the San Mateo community with an exposition of careers that grabbed the attention of students and families from around the district, as well as adults looking to explore new professional pathways. 
Ms. Kane, the Career and Volunteer Coordinator at SMHS, organized more than sixty groups to come to campus and show us how to successfully begin a career. Those attending who felt they weren’t going to follow the college pathway after graduation were shown amazing opportunities for other ways to guarantee a successful work life and future. Not only did they feature opportunities for those not planning to attend college, but they also featured opportunities like paid four-year college tuition, scholarship and internship programs, hands-on activities, managing work and school life, entering the workforce, finding a new career or learning more about programs offered in the Bay Area.
From the more than four hundred people who attended the Expo, an eighth grader from Borel Middle School said, “It was so much fun. I liked learning about the different careers there are to choose from. I got to pump pig lungs and get gifts like candy, pencils, pens and bags from each table I went to.” The Career Expo reached a range of ages, not just supporting high schoolers, but everyone within the San Mateo community.
The Expo held so much diversity, every group bringing a new opportunity to the table. Skyline, Canãda and San Mateo Community College told us about their two-year programs and transfer to a four-year university. Stanford Medical Rehabilitation Center had doctors and nurses present with interactive activities and real-life examples to motivate students into the medical career. Some of the most popular groups were the Caltrain, UPS, Bank of America, San Mateo Police and Fire Department, San Francisco Airport, United States Marines and Coast Guard.