Jackson Academy juniors and seniors, like all students who are approaching their college years, think frequently about career aspirations. Through JA’s mentoring program, JA Connects, students can experience what a career is really like and how much they are inspired by it. A mentoring experience can help students decisively choose their anticipated career or turn toward another more aligned with their interests. While mentoring opportunities have been limited during the pandemic, some students have safely participated in mentoring. In preparation for the coming year, the counseling office is currently asking juniors for their career mentoring requests.
The opportunity to view a career up close can be helpful in more ways than one. Jackson Academy Upper School students found that to be true thanks to their participation in JA Connects, a newly implemented career mentoring program. For some students, the opportunity to shadow someone in a career of interest was an affirming experience. For others, the opportunity made them realize a career perhaps only previously viewed from a distance was not as envisioned.
Carter Elliott ‘20 thought a career as a chemical engineer would be a good fit for him since chemistry is his favorite subject. After spending time with Zachary Courtney, a chemical engineer at Sun Pine Corp. in Canton, Carter changed his mind.
‘I got an overview of what he did and found his job involved a minimal amount of chemistry,” he said. “He told me to consider a degree in chemistry instead of chemical engineering.”
Carter admits he doubted the mentoring program would be beneficial, but his experience proved otherwise.
“I can honestly say it was helpful,” he said. “I would like to thank JA for providing this program and requiring us to do it.”
Steven Chustz ‘20 also discovered that the career he thought he would pursue was not for him.
“I have enjoyed chemistry since my sophomore year and I believed I wanted a career that focused on chemistry,” Steven said. “I believed that pharmacy would be like that.”
Steven shadowed Emily McLaurin who graduated from JA in 2006 and works as a hospital pharmacist, and, as pleasant as the experience was, it led him to consider other careers.
“I didn’t really want to be stuck behind a desk all day filling out orders and counting pills,” he said. “I almost immediately decided that I would change my career path to something else in the medical field.”
The mentoring opportunity was worthwhile, Steven said, because it provided a real-world view. “I got to see what pharmacists actually do from day to day instead of just reading about it online,” he said.
Life experiences led Emma Roberts to consider the field of physical therapy as a career.
“Physical therapists have helped me work through one of the most difficult experiences in my life, a sports-related concussion,” she said. “Since this concussion, I have had headaches for two years. Finally, I went to see a doctor who referred me to a myofascial release therapist who continues to work with me to get rid of my headaches. Because of this incident, I have been in the physical therapy clinic very often and have seen all the physical therapists at the clinic work together to help people rehabilitate. The small accomplishments I get to see there, such as someone experiencing a headache-free week for the first time in months, are enough to make me want to be a physical therapist.”
Emma spent time with Alan Whitfield at Mississippi Sports Medicine, who provided education about the requirements to get into physical therapy school and spoke about the ups and downs of being a therapist. He allowed her to watch as he evaluated a patient’s need for physical therapy and then another patient’s treatment appointment.
“Mr. Whitfield would let me first do the patients’ exercises, and then explain to me why the activities were more difficult for the patient,” she said. “It was fascinating to see what causes the human body to struggle and what treatments can be made to help the patients. It was interesting to see physical therapy from the perspective of the therapist, instead of my normal, the patient.”
After learning that a physical therapist must study many different sciences as part of the educational process, Emma questions if physical therapy is the right career choice for her.
“Because of Mr. Whitfield, I have a much better understanding of physical therapy,” she said. “I am very grateful to him and the JA Connects program for giving me this experience.”
Sydney Morris ‘20 was among students whose mentoring experience provided affirmation of their current career choice.
She spent a day shadowing Dr. Meredith M. Travelstead, a Jackson obstetrician and gynecologist, and even had the opportunity to observe surgery.
“This opportunity gave me the chance to see what goes on in the daily life of an OB-GYN and allowed me to make sure this would be a good career fit for me,” Sydney said. “As of now, I’m planning on being a doctor.”
Frances Bussey, JA alumni coordinator, said JA Connects is valuable because it provides students a head start in making career plans.
(Editor’s Note: This story was written before the onset of the pandemic).
