Building Future Connections: Career Day in Upper School

On Monday, April 8, Shorecrest Upper School students in grades 10-12 took part in the STEAM and Career Club Connect Event with the theme “Building Future Connections.” The STEAM Club, facilitated by Dr. Anna Baralt, and the Career Club, facilitated by Mr. Earl Walton, joined forces to initiate a conference-style morning filled with relevant guest speakers. Student leadership who helped plan the event included Noah Jaffe ‘25, Leilani McIntyre ’26, and Ava Peters ‘25. Chargers Alumni, current parents, Shorecrest staff members, and other community members who are shaping tomorrow’s world visited and spoke about their diverse career paths and networking strategies. Students were encouraged to think about networking as a tool for internships, college recommendations, mentorship and personal connections.

The Opening Keynote Speaker was strategic business leader Wesley Bean, EVP, Chief Revenue Officer of Catalina Marketing. He leads the go-to-market organization to develop long-term customer engagement strategies, identification of new market and business development, revenue generation, and customer Success efforts. He also serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay, Board of Advisors for USF School of Marketing Innovation, Board Member for the Catalina Foundation, and is a mentor of the Take Stock in Children program.

The Closing Keynote Speaker was Ginger Reichl, President of Pinstripe Marketing, who has aided Shorecrest in PR, marketing and video production for nearly 10 years. After a career in advertising and marketing in global organizations, Ginger founded Pinstripe Marketing where she leads a team responsible for strategic planning, brand development, and powerful communications initiatives for clients in the Tampa Bay Fast 50 to the Fortune 500.

Other presenters included: Tampa Bay Business Journal Business Woman of the Year Ande Johnson; Intuitive robotic-assisted surgery Vice President, Asia commercial operations and marketing Darla Hutton; Data Scientist Christina Eiginger; Veterinarian Sara Cowan; Product Director at Ticketmaster Joe Aiello ‘09; geologist Peter Baxter; and retired U.S. Coast Guard Captain Ed Sheppard, and more. 

Noah Jaffee ‘25 thought his fellow students received valuable experience engaging with established professionals, and a more comprehensive understanding of what it takes to build a meaningful career. 

“The theme of this year’s Career Day event was Building Future Connections, and we made sure that every speaker touched on this theme,” Noah explained. “After listening to all the speakers, students got the benefit of understanding the importance of networking and internships. Career Day expanded students’ horizons and shifted their approach towards defining their interests.”

The busy morning was followed by a College Application process panel for grades 9-11 that consisted of select members of the Class of 2024 and Myra Simpson, the Director of College Counseling. They detailed real-world college admissions tips and tricks, and shared their highs and lows of the application process. 

According to Leilani MacIntyre ‘26, there are hopes to grow the event in the future to “include students from other schools around St. Petersburg to provide them with an opportunity they may not otherwise have."

"Most people spend a lifetime building their network,” Earl Walton added. “The Connect Event gave our students a jump start on that process. How fortunate are we to have students with the grit to pull off an event like this, and a community of professionals willing to step forward and get involved with our students!"

Learn more about the Connect Event on the student-created event website: https://sites.google.com/shorecrest.org/steam-and-career-clubs-connect/home?authuser=0

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