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Weston Middle School brings professionals to campus for expanded career day
Summary
Eighth-grade counselor Andy Ogden described a revamped career day that brought 15–20 professionals into Weston Middle School, used a keynote plus four breakout sessions per student, and emphasized modernized career clusters and soft skills; students completed reflection work and sent handwritten thank-you notes to presenters.
Andy Ogden, the eighth-grade counselor at Weston Middle School, told the Curriculum Subcommittee the school’s career day is a logistical undertaking that starts planning in the fall of students’ eighth-grade year and aims to expose every student to multiple career pathways.
Ogden said the model uses a keynote speaker, pre-work, and four breakout sessions so each student meets four professionals. Presenters in 2026 included business and engineering representatives, an architect (Mark Blair), and a product manager from Meta. Ogden said presenters were coached to prepare eighth-grade-friendly bios and interactive sessions; students were asked to prepare questions in advance and later completed surveys and wrote handwritten thank-you letters to presenters.
Ogden traced the program’s redesign to visits to other districts and to the Career and Technical Education (CTE) updates in 2025 that modernized career clusters. He emphasized soft skills—time management, communication, collaboration—and noted the program’s "dress for success" theme and practical guidance for students considering internships and college pathways.
Logistics and permissions: staff confirmed yearbook and PTO photos were taken; presenters asked about external publication, and staff said they will check parent consent before sharing photos externally. Ogden said student engagement was high and presenters reported being impressed by the quality of students’ questions.
Next steps: counselors will analyze follow-up survey data, maintain presenter partnerships, and continue to coordinate with community partners for possible concurrent-enrollment and enrichment offerings.
