Schools

Job Shadowing Day Offered Variety Of Career Insights

This year, 35 Lynnfield High School juniors participated in the Lynnfield Business Coalition's annual job shadowing day.

Each year, juniors at Lynnfield High School have the opportunity to learn more about career fields they may be interested in - and this year, those options ranged from watching a live knee surgery to visiting a Boston TV station.

On Tuesday night, Wallace McKenzie of the Lynnfield Business Coalition reported to members of the school committee on how this year's job shadowing day went. The 2012 program attracted 35 students, or 23% of the total LHS junior class, who spent parts of two days with at least 20 area companies.

"Shadowing Day went very well this year - everybody seemed to have a very good time," said McKenzie, adding that "Usually the only  issue is the students say the day wasn't long enough."

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Last year, there were also 35 students participating in the program. However, 2011 saw only 4 male students, compared to 31 females. This year, job shadowing drew a far more balanced 18 boys and 17 girls. Since the creation of job shadowing day about 15 years ago, 751 LHS students have now benefited from the program.

Some of this year's job interests include sports management, physical therapy, medicine/nursing, criminal justice, music, and public relations. McKenzie noted that the program had even attempted to line up something for a student interested in international relations. All companies that participated this year reportedly expressed a willingness to do so again next year.

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One challenge that faces job shadowing day in any given year is the HIPAA patient privacy law, which makes it more difficult for students interested in healthcare to go to those facilities. Still, one did get to see a live knee replacement surgery. A number of companies with Lynnfield connections or locations also pitch in to make the event a success. For example, former Lynnfielder Heather Hegedus of Fox 25 in Boston, Lynn teacher Gail Richardson, and David Paleologos of Suffolk University polling were among those helping out this year.

"This has been a great program for a lot of years," said School Committee Chair Dorothy Presser at the end of the presentation.


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