MMS students explore potential careers
JESSICA ALLEN/DAILY FORUM
Patrick O’Connell, veterinarian at Maryville Veterinary Clinic, talks to Brylie Rodrick about the varied aspects of his large-animal veterinary practice in and around Maryville and Nodaway County Wednesday during Maryville Middle School’s eighth-grade job shadow day.
During one of Maryville Middle School’s job shadowing days, eighth-grade students got the chance to explore potential careers by visiting local businesses.
The assignment is part of the Missouri Connections class, which helps students identify their interests to guide them in finding jobs after graduating high school.
Wyatt Walker, who is the son of Brad and Laura Walker, already knows he likes to work with his hands and doesn’t like to sit at a desk. His grandfather has been teaching him how to weld, and Walker said he wants to know if it could lead to a job for him.
When he heard about touring Nucor Corporation from his friend Sam Ferguson, Walker decided he would spend his time learning about what was inside the long buildings on the east end of town.
During Walker’s tour, Engineering and Maintenance Supervisor Scott Stebbing showed him how workers color, cut, and repair machines.
“He got to see the whole operation, everything from cold drawing to wire drawing to coil bar and the robots working,” Stebbing said. “It was pretty overwhelming for a short tour.”
For Walker, the hands-on activity interested him most. Stebbing allowed him to weld a little while onsite.
Stebbing said he is always eager to show young people about the possibilities of joining the company he’s worked for since 1988. Nucor’s Technical Academy, he said, provides young people with schooling and paid job training. After completing three years at the co-op, students graduate with a degree in electromechanical technology and are earning $18 an hour.
“It’s a job people can use their hands and have to think,” Stebbing said.
By the end of his time at Nucor, Walker learned about what it takes to work at Nucor. For Stebbing, it’s not always a 40-hour week. Oftentimes, he clocks more than 50.
Viewing the physical space also amazed Walker.
“I was surprised that they could fit all these big machines in these little buildings,” he said.
Meanwhile, across town, Maryville eighth grader Brylie Rodrick got her feet dirty at the Maryville Veterinary Clinic.
The 13-year-old daughter of Kimberly and Dave Rodrick spent her Wednesday morning shadowing local veterinarian Patrick O’Connell.
“I’ve always liked animals,” said Rodrick. “I’d like to be around animals as part of my job.”
Rodrick grew up in Maryville and although she does not live on a farm, she enjoys visiting her grandmother’s farm and bottle-feeding calves. She one day aspires to be a veterinarian herself, of both large animals such as livestock and smaller companion animals like dogs and cats.
“I’d love to learn about and help cure new diseases,” said Rodrick. She explained that she has several friends whose families own cattle, and she became curious about why the animals sometimes become sick.
O’Connell, who is a Maryville native, has been a veterinarian for eight years after being graduated from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.
“When I got a chance to come back to my hometown to practice I jumped all over it,” said O’Connell.
O’Connell showed Rodrick how to check a cow’s teeth to help determine age, and walked her through the process of preparing cattle for sale. He explained that the Missouri Department of Agriculture requires that cattle be tagged and identified before sale so that if any diseases break out, they can trace ownership of the animals.
“The job is nothing too glamorous, but it has to be done,” he said.
After a morning of shadowing, Rodrick and other students are required to type a paper and make a presentation in class about what they learned. Rodrick was glad for the chance to get an up close and personal look at her possible future profession.
“A lot of kids think they know what they want to do and if they experience it, they may change their mind,” she said. “Job shadowing can help them know for sure.”
Students asked job shadow mentors questions about average salary, job training, educational requirements, daily schedules, and travel opportunities.
The days of clocking in and out may seem far away for junior high students, but according to Assistant Principal Kate Lydon, having a general idea before entering high school could shape students’ course tracks.
JENNIFER DITLEVSON HAGLUND/DAILY FORUM
Maryville Middle School student Wyatt Walker listens to directions from Josh Parman, who is a 10-ton coil-to-bar operator at Nucor Corporation. Walker spent the morning touring the company to find out more about job opportunities related to welding.
JESSICA ALLEN/DAILY FORUM
Patrick O’Connell, veterinarian at Maryville Veterinary Clinic, explains to Brylie Rodrick how to enter identification information for cattle into the computer. O’Connell sends the information to the Missouri Department of Agriculture to help trace ownership in the case of a disease outbreak.
