Career Day Seminar~ When I Grow Up: Career

On Saturday, September 7, 2024, the Distant Members Fellowship of the S.T. Nagbe UMC hosted a day-long seminar at the Mildred Page Hall.  Highlighting the theme, “When I Grow Up: Career Choices,” the event aimed to equip participants with essential tools needed to make informed career choices. Speakers at the event sought to not only inspire the young people but also emphasize the importance of self-assessment, confidence, trust, and developing strong mentor networks in their pursuit of personal growth. This important event brought together nearly 200 high school students.

Topics covered at the seminar included essential components for career readiness: Job Development Skills, Digital Literacy, Professionalism, and Self-Development, which are crucial in preparing individuals for the workforce by ensuring that they are engaged and motivated to pursue their career goals. The participants were introduced to major sectors relevant to economic development in Liberia.  Sectors discussed were Agriculture, Public Administration, Governance, Information Technology, Mineral Exploration, Engineering, Finance, and Health & Social Sciences.

Our speakers, who brought a wealth of knowledge from various professional fields were Mr. Henrique Caine, Fth. Elias Shoniyin, Ms. Kate Hunder, Mr. T. Nelson Williams, Dr. Joyce B. Gwaikolo, Mr. Stephen Dorbor, Sis Kaustella Kialain Sarsih, Mr. Stanford Peabody, and Mr. Samora Wolokollie. Each speaker shared their personal journeys, challenges, and successes they encountered during their career while the students were given the opportunity to ask questions relevant to the presentations.

Students expressed their gratitude and also offered suggestions on what should be included in future seminars.  The Career Day seminar turned out to be an enriching experience for students, who departed with meaningful insights and tools, a transformed mindset, and renewed hope for the future as they prepare to start their professional journeys.

The DMF is especially appreciative of the dedicated team behind the success of this event: Mothers Gloria Y. Menjor, F. Juah Lawson, Thelma Miller, Carrie Sayor-Yancy and Brother Edward Massaquoi. Preparations are already underway for the next seminar, which will aim to incorporate additional industries. Participating students of this years’ seminar have suggested that sessions be extended to cover a two-day period.