Valerie Cassity
Special to the Sun

Teens are frequently asked the ubiquitous question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” But most, especially young people coming of age in an isolated rural area such as the Kern River Valley, have very limited exposure to the many opportunities life has to offer.

To remedy the situation, on Friday, June 3, 66 South Fork Middle School students will participate in a three-hour “Job Shadow” and get an inside look at some career options as they begin to ponder their future. South Fork School has partnered with Kern River Outfitters (KRO) and Sequoia National Forest and is actively recruiting employers to host one to three 7th and 8th graders for a three-hour job shadow experience designed to demonstrate and inform them about what different professions entail.

Jim Ritter, President of KRO and South Fork Job Shadow Coordinator, has been involved in several similar programs in his northern California community, and said he “wanted to bring this wonderful opportunity to our youth.”

Students will be paired with job sites through a selection process that includes student preference and teacher recommendation, thus increasing the likelihood of “placing the right student at the right host site,” Ritter said.

More than one million students across the U.S. annually participate in Job Shadow. “This is an exciting opportunity for our Kern Valley students who often feel that there are no job options close to home,” Ritter added.

Ritter recently completed his fifth Job Shadow with high school students in Arcata. However, he believes involving younger students could be a powerful tool as they weigh their options and plan their high school classes to fit future college or vocational requirements.

“Junior High is a perfect age to start career exploration for students; they can take advantage of programs toward their job goals and it gives them something to work toward throughout high school,” Ritter said.

Participating employers are not asked to make a financial investment, rather to donate three hours of their time, giving interested youngsters a feel for what a day in the life of someone doing that career entails. Transportation to and from job placement sites is provided by parents or chaperones. Hosts plan to involve students in their business or profession and help them identify possible career goals, while acquainting them with traits and skills needed to succeed in any job. Hosts are given detailed information to help make the visit seamless and successful. Ritter opted for a three-hour session as a convenience for the hosts. “That should be long enough to get a feel for what a person is doing, but not so long that it becomes a burden,” Ritter said.

All types of businesses are encouraged to participate in the Valley-wide project, and are currently being sought as host sites. Deadline to apply is April 10. Interested employer hosts are advised to contact Jim Ritter at (866) 213-7754 or email hawkenjam@aol.com.

Take this opportunity to open your doors to a student for three hours, and open the door to his or her future forever.