BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— The high school held a college and career fair within the school’s gym on Friday, Oct. 21. Thirty-eight colleges, businesses and organizations set up booths to interact with students and answer their questions about different career paths.
The high school’s College and Career Coach Carley Feagle said the event’s goal was to expose students to the opportunities available after high school.
“We even have our ninth and 10th graders here because it’s never too early to start thinking about what you are going to do with your life after high school,” she said. “And we like for them to be able to talk to these professionals because it helps them develop people skills and learn how to converse with adults.”
Superintendent David Broskie said the event helps students narrow their post-graduation choices to one of three broad classes.
“I call them the three E’s,” he said, “which is to enroll, enlist or employ. Those are three options that students have.
“As a young person, the whole world is in front of you, right?” he added. “And so, to see the opportunities and the possibilities after school is so important.”
Chris Murphy, who runs a Thermo King dealership in Ocala, said his company is looking for refrigeration technicians.
“It is extremely hard to find somebody that wants to do that kind of work anymore,” he said. “There are over 200 Thermo King dealerships in the United States alone, and they are all looking for technicians. I don’t think we ever, ever turn anyone down that wants to work for us.”
Thermo King installs and maintains cooling units aboard trucks like Kroger grocery delivery, food wholesaler Cheney Brothers, which delivers food to restaurants including Keystone’s Johnny’s Barbecue and Martin Bower, which supplies Dunkin’.
Keystone Airport Board Chair David Kirkland and Airport Manager Maria Searcy talked to students about careers in aviation.
“We want to make our students aware that there are a lot of different jobs in aviation, not just flying airplanes,” he said. “There’s avionics, there’s air traffic control, there are A&P (airframe and powerplant) mechanics.”
Kirkland said students can find aviation jobs in the corporate environment, the military, small businesses and government agencies.
“Like the Florida Wildlife Commission,” he said. “They fly helicopters and planes for wildlife control. And Shands and other medical facilities that have medevac-type helicopters. There are just a lot of opportunities out there, and we’re trying to let the kids know about them. It’s more than just flying an airplane.”
