ST. PAUL – On Oct. 24, St. Paul Education hosted its annual post-secondary night at the St. Paul Regional High School, attended by students – along with their parents and guardians – from schools across the area.
Tables and booths were scattered throughout the halls of the school, with career counsellors and representatives from post-secondary institutions on hand to provide students a myriad of resources and information about potential education and career paths after high school.
Angele Morrison, a career counsellor with St. Paul Education, said the night was going great. “It’s been a very, very busy day. I’ve made my rounds to all the tables, and I don’t think anybody has had a break. There’s been lineups, and it’s been really good.”
The event ran from 7 to 8:30 p.m., and about 16 institutions attended the night.
Tristan Pedersen, student recruiter with McEwan University, said she had a lot of fun coming to St. Paul, having had the opportunity to try out the “really cute, fun restaurants and stores downtown,” prior to the event.
But more importantly, Pedersen said, it’s always “nice to talk to students excited about their futures.”
Pedersen said many students showed interest in pursuing a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Commerce degree at McEwan University. “These are just four-year bachelor programs that you can use as a steppingstone into medicine or law,” in addition to other paths students might take, said Pederson.
When asked if some students have shown interest in other healthcare-related professions, Pedersen said there were a fair number of questions about nursing. There were also many business-related questions, “which [means] maybe they want to start businesses in St. Paul,” Pederson said.
Sakura Lalonde says she hopes to go to school for early childhood education, and ultimately work with young children. “I love working with kids. I love watching them grow and being able to be a part of that experience to help shape how they view the world,” said Lalonde.
She has a big family, with “a lot of siblings and a lot of nieces and nephews,” so she feels it's always been a good fit to pursue a career working with children.
Lily Paranteau shares a similar passion in wanting to help guide children. Paranteau hopes to pursue an education in psychology. “I want to help kids feel less alone and help them," she says.
“I want them to have the coping mechanisms to grow and better themselves. So, it’s not constant breakdowns or meltdowns, and I want to help them feel better.”
Morrison thanked all the institutions and students who came out to the post-secondary night.
“It’s great to see students of all ages starting to look at their options for after high school, because I really feel you can never be too young to start thinking about your future.”
Morrison enjoys watching students learn about programs that they may not have known about before.
“It just opens their eyes to what’s all available.”
During the post-secondary night, a draw also took place. The winner of the draw was Chloe Jean from St. Paul Regional High School who won a Chromebook.
