Morehead students get a glimpse into the future

Trading Places is a program conducted by the YMCA along with the Eden Rotary Club, for Morehead High School’s top 50 11th-graders. This gives them the opportunity to job shadow someone in a profession they choose.

I had the opportunity to job shadow Latala Payne, a reporter for the Reidsville Review, on Tuesday.

Some of the jobs chosen by students involved in the program included elementary school teacher, dental hygienist, crime scene investigator, and attorney. Most students were matched with jobs they wanted to pursue in the future.

During my experience, I learned the busy moments of trying to reach a set deadline, and the depressing times when news moves at a slow pace. While shadowing Miss
Payne, I was able to ask questions about what reporters do on a daily basis. While I asked many questions, Miss Payne listened and answered everything clearly making it easy for a student like myself to understand.

I chose to pick reporter because it is something I would probably never have the opportunity to do later on in life. To broaden my knowledge of different professions, I decided to select one that interested me. This opportunity is something I will forever be able to tell people about, and share with others from firsthand experience.

Although my Trading Places experience was interesting, many other students participated in the event. After the job shadowing was over, everyone was able to sit down together at the Whistle Jacket for lunch, where we listened to stories each student had to share. Some students learned a lot, while others didn’t get to learn anything because they were considered a liability for business. Many students even shared that they were completely positive now of what they wanted to do in the future.

Bri McCullough, a student participant in the program, said, “When we are given the opportunity to gain insight on our futures through programs, such as Trading Places, we have an advantage to gain knowledge on a future profession.”

C. Scott Flanagan, Rotary Club president and participant in the event, said this was his first year involved in the program.

“I had a great student who was very engaging, and he was very interested in what went on,” Flanagan said. “We showed him a lot of avenues that a person can take when they are interested in drafting. We’re hopeful that all the kids who participated will be able to go into the field they chose or decide it’s not for them. Either way, today was still important for them.”

Barry Mabe, director of the Eden YMCA, said this year’s program was pretty typical of most other years.

“The students select their own choices and it is sometimes a challenge to match up their occupations,” Mabe said. “But with the help of the hospital and area schools, we are able to match a lot of them. Probably a little more than half of the students today were at the hospital or elementary schools.”

I thank the YMCA, the directors of this event, the Eden Rotary Club and Morehead Hospital. Trading Places 2009 was a huge success in the eyes of many students. Plus, it was a great excuse to get out of school.