We all know the feeling–you’re in class when suddenly, your teacher slides you a blue slip of paper with your counselor’s name on it for your annual visit. You also know exactly what your counselor is going to ask about–your future.
For many high schoolers, the subject of careers can cause feelings of anxiety because of the endless possibilities.
That’s why, this past Wednesday, the Career Expo & Networking Event went live! The purpose of the event was simple–to help students discover what their future career might look like.
A variety of professionals came to introduce their professions to students and were able to share their experiences with students. If you missed it during your lunch period, though, no worries! Here are some of the highlights of the professionals at the Expo.
If you’ve ever wondered how or who creates your favorite ice cream flavors, Angel Sarti, a flavor scientist who works for Sensient Flavors & Extracts, has an inside scoop on the process.
“I work with companies you probably know, like Oberweis, Ben & Jerry’s, Häagen-Dazs, and the list goes on,” said Sarti. “If you’ve ever had cookie dough ice cream or toffee, for example, I’ve created the ingredients for it.”
He originally graduated from college with a degree in biology and began as a biologist. “I realized I didn’t want to work a boring lab job anymore, so I decided to look for a different career I could still do with my degree,” Sarti explained.
After finding his current position on LinkedIn and applying, Sarti has worked for Sensient for the past five years. He works five days a week, and his main job is mixing different chemicals and tastes to create ice cream ingredients.
“I had no idea in high school this was a thing, “Sarti said. He encouraged students to “try new things, because you never know where it might take you”.
Another career represented at the Career Expo, still in the food industry, was a flavor scientist who works with beverages instead of ice cream. Austin King, who works for Sensient as well, works with companies like Pepsi, Ocean Spray, and Poppi.
Before working at Sensient, King was a bartender, which has helped him adjust to his current job. “The main part of my job is creating new and innovative flavors. A lot of it is using chemistry to brainstorm new and exciting flavors for the season,” King said.
Compared to bartending, King’s schedule is much more flexible. “On most weekdays, I work from 8-4 pm.” King thinks that high schoolers should be focused on exploring their options. “There’s a lot you don’t know is out there.”
Suppose you’re less interested in the story behind what you eat and prefer to help people. In that case, psychiatrist Dr. Amy De La Torre was there and shared her story.
“I always knew I wanted to become a doctor, but I didn’t know what specialty I wanted to enter until I went to medical school,” De La Torre said. “In my rotating clinical, I was the only Spanish-speaking physician.”
De La Torre discovered that only 2% of physicians in the US are Latina, which pushed her to go into psychiatry. Currently, De La Torre is in a residency and is completing a postgraduate program for psychiatrists interested in helping adolescents.
“Find a job that feels the least like work to you,” De La Torre said as a final piece of advice for high school students. De La Torre is also Miss Mexico 2025.
If you’ve ever wanted to soar in the clouds, having Scott Kuhfeldt’s position as Vice President of Operations at Chicago Executive Flight School might be your dream job. “We teach people how to fly,” Kuhfeldt said.
Some days, he is in the office, creating programs or performing maintenance, others, he’s in the air, flying with students and teaching them what it takes. “There’s no set thing every day,” Kuhfeldt explained.
Before getting the position, Kuhfeldt had worked a variety of manager jobs, mainly at restaurants. That was until a friend told him about the open position at the flight school, and he decided to take it on.
“It’s all about connections; every job I’ve had I got through knowing someone,” Kuhfeldt said. He has worked at the flight school for two years now.
Overall, over 30 professionals came and answered questions about their jobs. Although the Career Expo was only one day, it doesn’t mean you can’t still reap the benefits.
In the CCRC, there is a team of people waiting to support you on your college and career journey, and can help you get in contact with any of the people mentioned above. Contact Mr. Kapotas at [email protected] for more information.
