MBE welcomes Career Spotlight speakers

What do a local news anchor, a commercial pilot and a nationally renowned chef have in common? They’ve all been Career Spotlight speakers at Mountain Brook Elementary this year. 

MBE’s counselor, Anna Carlisle, along with parent co-chairs Erin Teague and Kaira Catenacci, have instituted the new program to provide monthly speakers who share about their careers with MBE’s fourth- through sixth-graders. 

Speakers share the education they received for their career, the interests that drive their passion and how they continue to be successful in their chosen profession. In conjunction with the speakers, Ms. Carlisle also spends classroom time with the students to identify their personal interests and strengths and to align those talents with possible career opportunities.

In implementing the Career Spotlight program, Ms. Carlisle and the chairs of the program hoped to provide a more engaging way than a traditional career fair for students to learn about various professions. 

The goal is for students to be exposed to career fields with which they are not already familiar, thus expanding their horizons to different possibilities. 

Ms. Carlisle noted that, “While there is no expectation that students will leave MBE with a defined career path, we know that having a tangible goal makes hard work more purposeful. Our hope is that these examples of professional businessmen and women will inspire students to reflect on their own passions and that the classroom lessons will help guide them towards career goals that are fulfilling.”

– Submitted by Kate Mather.