A glimpse into life after high school

Hundreds of high school seniors gathered at the Porterville College gymnasium Wednesday morning for Senior Day 2012 — a day filled with inspirational speakers, college and career seminars, and dedicated to inspire students with options after high school.

With professional speaker, and co-owner of the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour, Arel Moodie as the main headline, the packed crowd cheered, laughed and listened as Moodie shared his personal story.

Moodie, called a “poster boy for rags-to-riches stories” and “America’s top young speaker,” by magazines, talked about growing up in New York and witnessing his first shooting while in junior high and his first deadly shooting while in high school.

“I thought he was pretty interesting. He had humor and a lot of information,” said Haru Shafer, a senior at Porterville High School. “I liked his speeches. They didn’t exactly apply to me because I know the direction I’m going.”

For Celina Cervantes, a senior at Granite Hills High School, the talk was helpful.

“He kept us entertained in an informative way,” she said. “He gave us information on stuff I didn’t have a clue about.”

Cervantes said she has heard about the FAFSA application but knew little about it until he talked about it.

During the program, several Porterville College alumni shared personal stories and talked about the impact college has had on them.

Christian Cagnino, a senior at Porterville Adult School, said he enjoyed the inspirational messages shared by former PC students, particularly one speaker who encouraged attending a community college first.

“He said it’s good to go to college,” Cagnino said. “Lots of people don’t do anything with their lives but imagine what you can do if you go to college.”

Joshua Powell, a senior at Monache High School, called the speakers inspirational.

“I enjoyed the examples and inspirational talks about standing up, standing out and doing something,” Powell said.

Following the speakers, the students made their way to the campus quad where they had the opportunity to listen to various seminars on everything from fire technology to health and law enforcement careers. In addition, PC club representatives, departments and financial officers were on hand to offer students information about their services. At the Lyles Center of Fresno State University booth, Chris Kelm, program assistant, called out to seniors walking by.

“This is perhaps the most important piece of paper you have ever owned,” he said as he passed out a flyer on BIZCAMP 2012. “This is an opportunity for you to start at the top.”

He talked to students about being their own boss and about an upcoming entrepreneurship class with scholarship opportunities.

Nearby, Maria Roman, EOPS and Cal Works director, talked to students at the booth.

“This is a great opportunity for students who have never been on the campus, even though they live in Porterville, to visit their local campus,” Roman said. “We have received a lot of positive feedback from students and teachers who love this event.”

Frank Daybell, a senior at Harmony Magnet Academy was one such individual.

Daybell waited to hear an agriculture seminar and see a demonstration of a piece of equipment — the Kubota power steering RTV 900 XT Mule. With a background in agriculture and law enforcement, Daybell said he visited the K-9 demonstration when he couldn’t find the Probability and Mathematics seminar, prior to stopping by the agriculture seminar.

“The speaker was really good,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun seeing all the different things they have to offer.”

Daybell, who plans to attend Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and enter the mission field for his church, said he still has many places he wants to go.

Contact Esther Avila at 784-5000, Ext. 1045. Follow her on Twitter @Avila_recorder.