YLK CLASS #32 OCTOBER SESSION
Updated: 8 hours ago
The Kearney Youth Leadership Class 32 participated in a career exploration day. The
students started the day by dispersing to different businesses in Kearney for job shadowing. We
had the opportunity to observe workplaces that align with our future career interests. Through
these job shadows, we met professionals and asked questions about their jobs and the steps
they took to pursue their careers.
After job shadowing, we all returned to ESU10, where Theresa Ritta-Olson taught us how to
build healthier work habits. She shared many tips on how to prioritize and manage
responsibilities. Her main recommendation was to focus on strengthening small habits to stay
organized and complete tasks efficiently. We participated in a paper activity that helped each
student recognize habits they could improve and ways to make those changes. She also did a
great job explaining ways that we can set healthy boundaries for ourselves to support our
success, both now and in our future schooling and careers.
After lunch, the students practiced mock interviews with local community professionals. We
were asked a series of questions in small groups, allowing us to work on interview skills, build
confidence, demonstrate professionalism, think on our feet, and identify areas that need
improvement. It was a valuable opportunity to prepare for upcoming interviews and become
more comfortable highlighting our strengths, accomplishments, and abilities.
To conclude the day, the students had their final CliftonStrengths session with Brenda Jochum.
She taught us more about the importance of recognizing our talents and strengths and how they
can be beneficial to our future careers. Brenda emphasized that we are not defined by one
talent, but by the combination of our talents. She demonstrated this by bringing protein balls and
explaining that each ingredient contributes to the finished product. The same idea applies to our
strengths, as combining each talent can help us succeed in college and our future careers.
Each student has unique abilities and brings something different and valuable to any group.
Overall, today was extremely beneficial as we explored areas of interest, developed important
professional skills, and learned more about ourselves.
Strengths Connections Coach: Brenda Jochum
-Written by Bella Philippi
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