Young Students Exposed to Different Careers

Having been sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic for the past two years, Career Day at the John Rollins Success Primary in St. James was a resounding success, according to Principal, Yvonne Miller-Wisdom.

The event, which was held on February 10, saw students given the opportunity to wear the career uniform of their choice while being mentored by representatives from a number of private- and public-sector entities, including the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo).

“Our focus here at John Rollins Success Primary is not just limited to the academics. What you saw here today is a classic example of that. Our students are exposed to real-life learning experiences,” Mrs. Miller-Wisdom explained.

“Not everybody will want to be a doctor, an engineer or a lawyer. You might want to be a musician, an artist or a chef. We do not limit the career paths of students,” she added.

The Principal said it is against that background that, annually, the school, goes about engaging career professionals to come on campus to interact with the students, giving them an up-close and personal encounter with the possibility of what they might want to do later on in life.

She said that from listening to the reaction of students over the years, the Career Day experience is something “they relish” and is a very important part of the school year.

For his part, Parent-Teacher Association President, Stephen Jennings, said John Rollins Success Primary is known for excellence, so he was not the least bit surprised that the school was able to pull off a successful Career Day, following the two-year face-to- face hiatus.

“We have an excellent organising team who go all out to make sure that we are always on top of our game. I can say without any fear of contradiction that this is one of the best institutions as far as community involvement in the parish,” Mr. Jennings argued.

“The institution has done well in so many areas and continues to produce great results in everything that we do. Especially in the arts, our culturally aware students continue to build a name for themselves with the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, where we have won so many national awards,” he added.

Pilot and Air Traffic Controller, Brittany Pink, said that she was very impressed with how interactive the students were in their thirst for knowledge, and that the organisers must be commended for putting on an excellent Career Day.

“They (students) were very interactive… asked a lot of questions and were just simply fun to be around. I can tell you that there are some very exciting pilot prospects among this group,” she added.

Surgeon, Roger Irvine, was also excited about his visit to John Rollins, saying the school has a great foundation where “only wonderful things can happen”.

“Career Day should be a feature in every school in Jamaica. It’s where the students can get a first-hand look at the careers of their choice,” he said.