By Eric Erickson
Career and Trade Fair
Thirty representatives from businesses, industries and trade groups shared information and opportunities with interested Como students during the school day on Feb. 23. Students signed up for sessions during their 25-minute advisory time and visited the tables that matched their interests.
The variety of companies and organizations participating included Best Buy, M Health Fairview, Metropolitan Mosquito Control, Iron Workers Local 512 and small business owners such as Jen Calero and Gina Watkins from FLUX Studio.
The event was organized by Mai Chue Moua of Como’s Get Ready program, Bridgette Kelly from Como’s Career Pathway Center and the Como Counseling Department.
Moua was pleased that many organizations brought multiple staff members from different departments. She explained, “That provided students with a holistic view at how organizations operate and what kinds of roles students can pursue within an organization or agency. Hyatt Regency was a great example with a chef and a HR manager participating.”
Moua reported that presenters consistently voiced how thoughtful and engaging the students were with their inquiries, and described the student reaction as enthusiastic. “I’m not exaggerating when I say that I heard a few ‘this is amazing!’ comments from students.”
Many students prepared for the interactions through advisory lessons, which also overlapped with instruction in elective classes such as natural resources and management, entrepreneurship, agriculture, culinary arts, introduction to business and construction and small engines.
History Day Regional Qualifiers
History Day at Como featured the research and final products of 11th grade U.S. History students. This year’s theme was Debate and Diplomacy in History — Successes, Failures, Consequences. Students advancing to St. Paul regional competition include the following:
Group Documentary: Kyle Vang and Julei Hei for East vs. West: Diplomacy in the Cold War, Ywa Hay Paw and Paw Htoo for Nuclear Disarmament.
Individual Documentary: Jesiah Mason for The War on Drugs, Dallas Beilke for The Abortion Debate.
Website: Liam Schwie for The Rico Act of 1970 (Long Arm of the Law).
Group Virtual Exhibit: Pariz Battee, Ellen Chinema and Aundrea Valdez for The Rwandan Genocide, Jairo Cayetano Rodriguez, Tran Ho Tran and Anisa Abshir for The Mexican-American War, Anwar Abdulkadir and Jibril Ahmed for Pearl Harbor.
Individual Virtual Exhibit: Mohamed Mohamed for The Little Rock Nine.
Paper: John Mason for Hong Kong’s Kowloon Walled City, Rin Htoo for The Berlin Wall.
Eric Erickson is a social studies teacher at Como Park Senior High School and a regular contributor to the Bugle.
