BY David Vitrano

L’Observateur

GRAMERCY – Although most children when asked what they want to be when they grow up veer toward the realm of doctor or athlete, educators at Gramercy Elementary School wanted the students there to have a wider focus when considering future directions.

On Friday, the school welcomed business people of all sorts to the school to give the sixth-graders there a taste of what different career paths offer. Local industries such as Marathon and Noranda as well as government and sheriff’s office representatives, cosmetologists, writers, optometrists, military servicemen, some coaches from nearby Lutcher High School and even a racecar driver spent a couple of hours showing the students just what each job entails.

According to reading teacher Tammy Tamplain, who spearheaded the effort, the career day dovetailed perfectly with the current reading lesson in which the students learned about a handful of professions. She said the lesson continued when they got back to the classroom and had to write about three of the careers they learned about Friday.

“We’re doing what’s called Expert 21,” said Tamplain, referring to the literacy program aimed at preparing students for college and careers.

Principal Kay Dornier noted that such programs have become a mainstay in high school, but she felt it would be a good thing to give the students a head start by exposing them to a variety of careers.

“The people who volunteered to come are really doing a phenomenal job,” said Dornier.

Naturally, some of the booths had a more enthusiastic reception than others, and those that featured activities drew a bit more attention than those that didn’t. But the most popular station had to be that of racecar driver Bruce Kennedy, who purple hotrod parked outside the gym doors had a steady exchange of students trying out the driver’s seat all afternoon.

Dornier was proud of the variety of professionals who came out for the event.

“It just gives (the students) another avenue,” she said. “They don’t know all these other intricacies.”

She and the teachers involved in the activity also said with students taking college-level courses younger and younger, the timing for such an event felt right.

Said Tamplain, “We’re going to be bigger and better next year.”