CCHS hosts inaugural Careers in the Humanities Forum - South Colonie Central School District

On Thursday, April 22 the English and Social Studies Departments held their first annual (virtual) Careers in the Humanities Forum for students at the high school. The panel featured five professionals who have built rewarding careers based on strong communication and critical thinking skills stemming from college majors in English, History, Journalism, and Communications. Each speaker gave a brief presentation and then met with students in break-out sessions for questions and conversation regarding their academic and career history.

“I was really pleased with how it all came together. We wanted to give students who enjoy their English and Social Studies classes an opportunity to see that people can find success in these fields,” said social studies teacher Erin Lasky. “Some students think that you can only be a writer or a teacher if you like history and English. And although those are great career options, obviously there is so much more out there!”

“We had originally planned our first forum for the spring of last year, but we had to cancel it due to the school closure. We were fortunate that the majority of our presenters were willing to come back a year later to present to a virtual audience. Their diverse career journeys are inspiring and motivational for students,” stated English teacher Deborah LaBrake.

Freshmen Sydney Le said afterward, “The presenters were informative, positive, and very thoughtful when answering the questions that I had for them…For example, the presenter Jennifer Lemak made a big impression on me! Because museum curating is more of a niche/uncommon occupation, when I went to pick the presenters I wanted to meet the most, she immediately stood out. And now, I think that I will even consider a career in scientific curating when I wouldn’t have even thought about it in the past.”

Special Education teacher Michelle Krawiecki attended with her daughter, Courtney, a middle-schooler. She said, “Courtney and I enjoyed listening to all of the presenters. It was inspiring to hear their positivity and passion for their jobs. Their encouragement to take advantage of different opportunities and to try different things was important for the students to hear. Also, it was so great…to hear that people skills are important, especially talking with people.”

The English and Social Studies departments hope to host an in-person forum next year. A few of this year’s presenters have offered to come back and present again.