SHADOWING SUCCESS: STUDENTS EXPLORE POTENTIAL PATHS
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“Our Student Job Shadow program is another important addition to our offerings,” Henneman says. “By working with local schools and employers, we are building an important partnership to the community.” HOW IT WORKS As part of the Student Job Shadow program, 30 students were placed across six different employers where they spent three days learning about a career field in which they are interested, including marketing, sales, hospitality, and engineering. Students received tours of offices and job sites, spent one-on-one time with industry experts, learned about operations and emerging trends, saw the day-to-day responsibilities, and practiced networking skills. “During this opportunity, I was hoping to get better insight into different industries and meet some people in RPU (Rochester Public Utilities),” said Aiden, Mayo High School. “This program was a great step forward in my journey to discovering my future career. Currently I’m interested in the trades, science, and technology. This experience answered many questions I had, and also gave me ideas about different directions I could go outside of high school. I was surprised by the amount of different positions in RPU, being able to see behind the scenes and reading the job titles on name placards outside of offices and seeing how many different roles people play.” Sophia, a student with MNSync Online, a synchronous- first online school for K-12 students that offers real-time, live classes and is an alternative to traditional in-person learning, had the opportunity to spend time at Rochester Motor Cars as part of her Student Job Shadow Experience. “I was hoping to learn what a typical day looks like for them, if they enjoy their jobs, the types of education and training needed, and the characteristics of a successful sales person and manager. All of my questions were answered,” Sophia says. “This experience has helped me decide that I really want to go into business and become a sales person and work my way up to a management position.” EMPLOYER PERSPECTIVES Participating employers shared similar enthusiasm for the program, noting how valuable it is to connect with students and introduce them to career paths they may not have otherwise considered. At Kahler Hospitality Group, Shannon Hannah, Corporate Director of People & Culture, shared that they wanted to partner with the community and share hospitality career
I was hoping to learn what a typical day looks like for them, if they enjoy their jobs, the types of education and training needed, and the characteristics of a successful sales person and manager. All of my questions were answered. " "
12 | ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE — DECEMBER 2025
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