Strathmore school hosts ‘Believe to Achieve' career day

STRATHMORE — “Money isn’t everything.”

It isn’t?

No, not according to Kevin Miller, professor and head of the Forensic Science Department at Fresno State. Working at something you enjoy is more important, he said, and because of his movie-like vocation, children at Strathmore Middle School’s annual career day listened.

“Happiness goes a long way,” said the man who started out in nursing, fainted at the sight of blood and became a molecular archaeologist. He worked for the FBI, traveled the world investigating unidentified human remains, and gave it all up to teach college students in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

“I get to be with my family,” Miller said. “And I get the summer off.”

Miller was one of more than 20 adults who took a day away from work Friday to share their life experiences with children at the crossroads and encourage them to “leave yourselves open” to a variety of careers.

More than 300 children each rotated through three 45-minute sessions during the school’s Believe to Achieve event.

Porterville Police Department and Tulare County Sheriff’s Department personnel demonstrated the county bomb squad’s new Hazardous Device Disposal Unit. A hit with video game fans and radio-control junkies, the aluminum and titanium “robot” can shoot, rip, drill, saw, climb and fire its way through just about anything that would stop or injure a human officer.

Operated from a remote control panel, the bot is loaded not only with fire and hydraulic power, but with at least three strategically placed on-board digital cameras and a recording device.

With something for every area of interest, other hands-on demonstrations included cooking with chef Veronica Arellano, donning firefighting gear provided by the Tulare County Fire Department’s Strathmore station, sketching faces under the tutelage of artist Josie Figueroa, and testing lung capacity with respiratory therapist Scott Rowell.

From diesel engine repair, nursing, engineering and real estate, to writing, teaching, practicing law and serving in the U.S. Army, presenters shared the passions that keep them in their careers. Children listened to a farmer/pesticides specialist, corrections officer, businesswoman, car customizer and spa technicians, sampling the job choices they might like to explore.

Regardless of which career path interested them the most, the children were also exposed to information they might not run across in their everyday lives.

“Turn around, don’t drown,” said meteorologist James Brotherton with the National Weather Service out of Hanford. “Flooding is the number one weather killer,” he said as he showed a video of a driver who tried unsuccessfully to ford a flooding stream in her car.

Meteorologists track storms and dangerous weather conditions and pass the information on to television and radio newscasters.

Jon Brent of KSEE Channel 24 in Fresno said a career in broadcasting was fun but a lot of hard work at the same time.

“If you have natural gifts and talents such as you love to meet people, you like conversations, you like to write, you’re creative and you love a fast-paced environment, then you’ll love broadcasting,” he said.

Eighth-grader and student assistant Gaby Ceballos said she was surprised by what she learned during this year’s event.

“I thought forensics was just like CSI, but there were so many fields put into one,” she said. “And the medical field — there are so many opportunities. That’s what I just found out about.”

Event organizer and math teacher Gail Grasmick encouraged participating children to consider their choices and keep the doors to their dreams open through education.

“Maybe this was a start for you,” Grasmick said during the day’s closing ceremony. “Maybe you found something that sparked a little interest. Or maybe you learned what you don’t want to do.”

Thanking the two dozen men and women who gave a day of their time to share with Strathmore’s youth, Grasmick quoted diesel mechanic Oscar Chapa who, like others, said he was happy to come.

“Anything for the kids.”

-- Contact The Recorder newsroom at 784-5000, Ext. 1043.