Over 70 volunteer professionals from businesses and organizations across the lakes area gathered at Pequot Lakes High School today for their 4th annual career fair.

The Pequot Lakes School District started the career fair four years ago as a way for high school juniors and seniors to explore different career options before they graduate. The career fair featured career avenues for those planning on continuing onto college and also those considering pursuing a career in the trades.

“As teachers, we can talk all day long about what people do in different lines of work, but it goes so much further when students have a chance to hear from the people that do it themselves. We believe, in Pequot Lakes, that students need that opportunity because at this point in their life, they don’t know, they shouldn’t know, but they should be thinking about it, asking questions and vetting options,” said Chris Lindholm, Pequot Lakes Schools Superintendent.

In addition to representatives from various organizations such as Essentia Health, the Pequot Lakes Chamber, the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office, and more, the Mid-Minnesota Builders Association brought around 30 members to talk with students about careers in the trades. According to school officials, the career fair is a way for students to explore their future options and learn what the paths to various careers might look like.

“Our goal here is to get kids kind of out of their comfort zone and have some real conversations with professionals about careers they may be interested in. The big thing is that we want them to understand that they may say, ‘I want to be a doctor.’ There’s lots of different kinds of being a doctor,” explained Aaron Nelson, Pequot Lakes High School Principal. “So what are those things? What might be a field that they more specifically might be interested in?”

By — Rachel Johnson

Lakeland News Lead Reporter