On Monday, September 18, 2023, Skyline College, in partnership with Roadtrip Nation, hosted a film and panel discussion. Early career exposure is vital for students because it can help them in many ways, including discovering their interests and passions, developing the knowledge and skills needed to succeed, gaining confidence, building networks, and making better career choices.
This academic year, the career counseling team partnered with Roadtrip Nation and will be showcasing seven award-winning Roadtrip Nation films, followed by a discussion with panelists from the local community. We want to expose students to people from all walks of life who have found fulfilling careers that align with their interests — and get them inspired to find their path.
Over 100 students attended our first film, “Change Makers,” which follows three young adults as they embark on a cross-country journey to discover how they can find personally fulfilling and socially impactful careers. All three are passionate about making a difference in the world. They are eager to find work that aligns with their values and allows them to use their skills and talents to help others.
Along the way, they meet a variety of inspiring professionals who are using their careers to make a positive impact. They learn about the challenges and rewards of working in social impact, and they get a glimpse of the many ways that people are making a difference in the world. By the end of their journey, they better understand what it means to be a change-maker. They are inspired to pursue careers that will allow them to use their skills and talents to improve the world.
After the film, we had six panelists who are emerging leaders from the private, public, and non-profit sectors. The panelists shared their experiences, offered advice, and answered questions from students about their careers. This was an excellent opportunity for students to learn about different career options and get inspired by the stories of successful change-makers in their local community.
At the conclusion, students interested in utilizing Skyline College career counseling services could book appointments directly with our career counselors. We also had informational tables for Strategic Partnership and Workforce Development.
A special thanks to our panelist Christina Fernandez, Deputy City Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer at the City of South San Francisco, Gee Kin Chou Co-Founder of The Boom Box Collaboratory Sharing Connections to Eliminate Inequality, Mona Shah
Director of Advancement Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, Shannon Oh
Recruitment Marketing Management Analyst at the County of San Mateo, Roberto Y. Hernandez CANA of Mission Food Hub Carnaval San Francisco, Judith Guerrero
Executive Director of Coastside Hope.
This was shared by one of the participants:
“I’m glad I got to learn of all the opportunities. I learned a lot of valuable information, such as the boombox. I’m excited to start working on it because then I can talk to the people in the careers I’m interested in. I feel like I’ll be using it for a while and meeting people in different fields. Boombox should be talked about more for students. It’s a great start. I enjoyed listening to everyone’s background, especially the ones where their parents were immigrants. I could relate because my dad was an immigrant from El Salvador, and I want to be successful and make it worth his coming here. I was moved by what Roberto was saying about brown people, his struggle, and who he is today because of it. I want to experience a life-changing event like he did and to have a good impact on the world. I’m thankful I can go to school here and learn more about these opportunities you give me, so I also want to thank you for arranging this. I also got to sit with Morgan and talk before it started, which made me happy to be with her. I wasn’t expecting the pizza, but it was really good. I’m grateful for today.”
