Kelloggsville — As seventh-grader Reponse Nzdyinambaho left the middle school’s career event, he stopped to ask Rockwell Earthworks intern Michael Clark why he wanted to work at a landscaping business.
“I like working outdoors,” said Clark, who is a Cedar Springs graduate. “I have always liked landscaping and have done it where I can. I came to Rockwell Earthworks because I was looking for a place where I could gain a deeper understanding about landscaping beyond just maintenance.”
Organizers hope students discover those types of insights through Kelloggsville Middle School’s lunchtime career talks.
“We are always trying to get the students thinking about careers or opportunities that they have never thought of before,” said school counselor Laura Kuperus, who with counselor Emily Tuttle, organized the monthly talks.
Kuperus said she had learned about a similar career talk series at Kentwood Public Schools and decided to adapt the program at Kelloggsville Middle School. Lunch hour presentations mean students won’t miss classes.
Career paths covered during the talks have included culinary arts, government, human resources, manufacturing, architecture and law.
Jina Rockwell, owner of the landscaping business, talked about her career path that led to her opening her own business.
“I actually studied fashion design,” she said, pointing out that it’s quite different from landscaping. “I always knew that I wanted to own my own company and my interest in landscaping stemmed from me being on a farm and helping in the garden.”
Rockwell Earthworks is a design and build landscape company specializing in erosion control. Rockwell talked about the various projects the company has worked on that range from residential to commercial, including the landscaping for the Grand Rapids’ Lyons Square Project.
“I am really excited about this opportunity,” Rockwell said after the career talk. “We never stop learning and exposing kids to different opportunities early on guides them to their career path.”
Reponse said he enjoyed the opportunity to listen and ask questions about potential careers.
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