Twenty-three companies, organizations and colleges set up tables in Pali’s small gym on March 13, preparing for the throng of students to rush in from their first and third period classes. Beyond the task of distributing various enticing handouts including Starbucks coffee, In-n-Out hats and bingo games, the career fair’s preparation required hard work and intense planning.
The career fair serves as an opportunity for students to explore new interests, build communicative skills through interaction and learn information about future career paths. Teachers were invited to bring their students to the fair with the aim of sparking increased student participation and ambition.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Coordinator Sarah Rosenthal, who took over the position in August, organized this year’s event.
Rosenthal described how her experiences collaborating with CTE teachers during the prior positions she held at Pali ultimately drove her toward the transition to CTE Coordinator.
“As a ninth-grade English teacher and pod coordinator, I worked with a lot of the different CTE elective teachers,” Rosenthal said. “I really liked that they have programs that focus on career and hands-on skills students can apply in the real world.”
Since taking on the position, Rosenthal has secured a variety of opportunities for students, including obtaining large grants to augment and upgrade CTE programs on campus and partnering with businesses and organizations to enhance students’ knowledge of different career fields.
“This year, I got a grant for a new culinary lab, and this summer we’re installing a new, state-of-the-art computer lab,” Rosenthal said. “I’m working with World Central Kitchen to create a culinary garden.”
Rosenthal said that coordinating with the exhibitors in the career fair involved “reaching out and oftentimes cold calling businesses,” with recipients including every organization listed on the “wall of donors” at Pali South and schools in partnerships with Pali, such as Santa Monica and West Los Angeles colleges.
Rosenthal’s responsibilities included reserving the space for the event, providing meals for the exhibitors, creating a schedule and writing informational guides about each business.
With a myriad of tasks to complete, Rosenthal asked the Pali Ambassadors to volunteer at the event, describing her first experience with the student-led group as “amazing.”
“When I first met [former Ambassadors President] Ocean Silkman, he said, ‘the teachers might forget to show up [to the Career Fair], so [Ambassadors] are going to go to their classrooms the day of and bring them in,’” Rosenthal said. “That kind of thinking is why the event was so successful. I really credit Ocean for thinking ahead.”
Rosenthal explained that the Ambassadors helped her “see the event in a different way,” and “really understand the culture of our school, which helped the success of the event.”
Junior and Ambassadors Vice President Zoey Morris explained her role in leading and managing the career fair.
“I made sure that everything was running smoothly and all Ambassadors were helping out,” Morris said. “We ensured that everyone had a good time and all the vendors were receiving the attention they deserved from the students.”
Sophomore Lia Binder acknowledged how easy the event was to navigate for students and said that “Rosenthal did a great job with her organization.”
One of the event’s most effective engagement tools was a bingo activity designed to encourage students to interact with booths, ask meaningful questions and explore a variety of careers. This game motivated students to go beyond surface-level conversations and truly understand the daily responsibilities behind each profession.
“From my conversations I got to learn about work ethic and specific tasks pertaining to certain lines of work,” Binder said. “The construction and real estate booths intrigued me the most because I got to learn about different aspects of these businesses and their working operations.”
For Morris, the Career Fair felt transformative, saying that it exposed her and her peers to possibilities they had not previously considered.
“There are so many opportunities available to [students] in different fields,” Morris said. “Just knowing that Pali has these resources to help anyone thrive in the future with whatever they want to do is so cool. I hope that we can do this event in the future.”
Also looking ahead, Rosenthal explained how she hopes to build upon this year’s success by expanding the scale and scope of the career fair.
“Next year, I’m going to have a committee and I’m going to invite our community,” Rosenthal said. “I have a feeling that next year’s career fair will be bigger and better, as those invested in our kids will want to see them empowered.”
