40 THE QUEENS COURIER • KIDS & EDUCATION • NOVEMBER 30, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
kids & education
Beyond the diploma: Helping teens forge their futures
What’s the key to optimism? From a
career standpoint, it’s having a vision
where you see yourself climbing and
thriving, and you know there will be a
place in the world for your skills and
knowledge.
Unfortunately, there are many teens
and young people who have a much
bleaker vision of their futures. Ask them
where they see themselves in fi ve years,
and they may shrug, draw a blank or get
that tight feeling in their stomachs. Th ey
worry about living their lives adrift or
being left behind.
It’s more prevalent than you may think.
Approximately 5 million young people
between the ages of 16 and 24 - or one out
of seven - are not enrolled in school and
are unemployed, according to the Social
Science Research Council’s Measure of
America report.
Within this problem, though, is an
opportunity for these youth. Th e U.S. has
a record 6 million job openings, even as
6.8 million Americans are looking for
employment.
Two groups have come together to help
young people pursue these in-demand
jobs by providing resources to prepare
them for college and their careers.
Th rough a $3 million partnership,
Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Th e
Hartford will help develop the next generation’s
workforce by creating 30 college
and career centers in the next three years.
Th e centers will be built in Boys & Girls
Clubs across the country, reaching 70,000
teens per year.
“Th is partnership is part of Th e
Hartford’s commitment to help build
successful communities through targeted
philanthropic investment and employee
volunteerism,” said Diane Cantello,
vice president of corporate sustainability
at Th e Hartford. “We are proud to partner
with Boys & Girls Clubs of America
to give teens access to relevant and inspiring
resources as they plan their futures.”
With career preparation in mind, it’s
never too early for any teen to start thinking
about how to achieve workforce success.
Here are some tips from Boys &
Girls Clubs of America and Th e Hartford
to help young people fi nd traction.
Set short-term and long-term goals.
From passing next Friday’s test to graduating
high school and pursuing a college
degree, focus on setting and achieving
individual goals that ladder up to
your vision of success. Take time to think
about the progression of steps that need
to take place between now and where you
hope to see yourself in the future. At the
same time, don’t get overwhelmed. Aft er
all, each journey begins with a single step.
And each step can shape your future in
ways that are both large and small.
Learn how to look for a job - and how
to stand out. Whether you’re looking for
a part-time job, or starting to put together
your resume, learn about what hiring
managers are looking for. Spend time
revising your application and resume,
and ask trusted adults to help you fi netune
it. It’s also worthwhile to put your
video camera to use to practice job interviews.
Do some research on common
interview questions and then fi lm yourself
as you answer. Learning to respond to
these questions with confi dence and poise
will help you stand out above the crowd.
It’s never too early to network. Perhaps
you’ve heard the saying that “the more
things change, the more they stay the
same.” While it’s true that the economy
isn’t exactly stable and technology is
rapidly transforming the job market, the
most valuable resource in a job search is
people. Talk to teachers, guidance counselors,
mentors and parents about your
career interests; not only can they provide
feedback on what fi elds they see as
a potential fi t, they can also connect you
with people in those careers for a job
shadow or informational interview.
Volunteer. If you already know what
you want to do, fi nding a volunteer
opportunity is a great way to get handson
experience. Or if you’re not sure yet,
volunteering allows you to try out different
things and discover what you fi nd
interesting. Take the opportunity to volunteer
- on top of all the other benefi ts
to yourself and others, community service
stands out to employers, so be sure to
include these experiences in your resume
and talk about them during your interviews.
Pursue your passions. Discovering what
you’re passionate about is a lifelong pursuit
that will evolve and change over time;
however, you will spend a signifi cant portion
of your life working, so why not
make it as enjoyable as possible? Th ink
about the things you love most and areas
where you excel, then consider potential
career options that align with those
interests and skills. And above all, don’t
be afraid to fail. If you discover at some
point that your chosen path isn’t the best
fi t aft er all, it’s disappointing, but don’t be
discouraged. Learning these things now
will only help you fi nd the career path
that’s right for you.
Courtesy BPT
Photo courtesy of Christ the King High School
Christ the King High School
Announces Principal’s Honor Roll
Christ the King High School congratulated
students who achieved the
Principal’s Honor Roll. Th e Principal’s
Honor Roll is for the top fi ve students
in each grade. Th e grade average of the
top students in each class range from 97
to over 100%.
“I congratulate the students who have
achieved the Principal’s Honor Roll,”
stated Principal Geri Martinez. “Th eir
hard work and dedication to academics
has paid off . We are very proud of
them.”
Th e honorees include the following:
Freshmen: Kristie Caruana, Christian
Wong, Gregory Jans, Elvis Soto, Maya
Marchan
Sophomores: Krystian Makocki,
Adalis Andelis, Taylor Lobur, Jaclyn
DiBartolo, Kevin Vu
Juniors: Jakub Golonka, Alyssa Navos,
Karleni Martinez, Kordian Von Cyga,
Gabriel Castillo
Seniors: Matthew Pezzulich, William
Meany, Arnaldo Deliz, Jr., Tyler Carlo,
Simmi So