Approximately 75 eighth-grade students at Dawnwood Middle School and Selden Middle School in the Family and Consumer Science and Technology classes participated in the annual Job Shadowing Day event sponsored by the Middle Country Business Advisory Board (MCBAB). This was the first such event after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students worked alongside or shadowed a family member or friend of the family and had the opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at an average workday in a variety of careers, including paralegal, teaching, nursing, small business owner, and corporate executive. The students saw firsthand how the education they are receiving at school, including 21st-century skills such as time management, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving are directly connected to future employment.
“I observed in-person and through participation in virtual meetings how a cohesive team works,” said Angela Patalano, an eighth-grade student at Selden Middle School, who shadowed a senior vice president of data and systems integration at Lifetime Brands. “I took a showroom tour and learned a great deal about product categories and branding.”