WHEATLAND — Libbey Elementary second graders surged into the ‘old junior high’ gym for a morning of discovering career and job options in the far-off future of adulthood. It was a little reminiscent of the Sesame Street song “The People in Your Neighbhoord”; a catchy tune that highlighted various occupations and roles in a community. Some jobs mentioned in the old-timey song included firefighters, mail carriers, doctors, teachers, and more. The Libbey Elementary Career Fair was a bit like that.
A variety of occupations and careers were represented during the event. The gym was buzzing with conversation and laughter. Groups of two-to-four students visited each ‘occupation’ to learn about a particular job, and had ten minutes with each profession to ask questions and interact with diverse professionals and their equipment and other materials.
The students were able to visit with firefighter John Benton and fire chief Will deRyk of the Palmer Canyon Fire Department, Banner Health, a retired pilot, Ed Snell, the Platte County Public Librarian Julie Gloyd, Kennon Kirk with the US Army, Dr. Dan Harnish, Harnish Veterinary Services, Mr. Ellsworth with the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, Lane Read, owner and mechanic from Jenkins Auto Body, realtor Lizette Campos from Blue Raven Realty, bankers from First State Bank, Tori Goertz and Kim Cullen Goertz, ranchers, farmers/producers, Dr. Lane Lucas, Platte River Family Dentistry, retired teacher Connie Thomas, and a Record Times reporter.
Many of the children expressed things they would like to do once they were part of the workforce; a common response was ‘rancher’. Others wanted to be doctors, gymnasts, or in the military. One student emphatically expressed his desire to be a bounty hunter. Unfortunately, no bounty hunters were available for the career fair.
