Career Day at Stoddert Elementary

Students at Stoddert Elementary, just north of Burleith in Glover Park, enjoyed career day presentations over the past two days. Adults from the community, such as bankers from nearby Wachovia or a representative of the neighboring Russian Embassy, as well as parents of students told students about their chosen careers and answered questions from curious minds.

Gary Goodman is a computer engineer and IT specialist who runs his own company, Signature Technology Solutions, LLC. Goodman spoke to a group of third-grade students Friday morning. Students giggled and were surprised when Goodman told them the Internet did not even exist when he was their age.

Goodman told students he attended Howard University and decided to study computer science because "I wanted to do something I really liked."

Technology was "close to my heart as a child," he said. He said it took four years of college plus two more years to earn the proper certificates to do his job, reminding students that they have many more years of school ahead of them.

Goodman asked if there were any questions.

Third-grader Rami Chiaviello asked if Goodman played videos games at work, since he worked with computers. Goodman laughed saying he didn't play at work, but he did at home. He then compared his progress on Rio Angry Birds with a few excited students.

Goodman said this was his first career day and that he'd become involved because he met Stoddert principal Dr. Marjorie Cuthbert when his company helped install the white boards that teachers use in the classrooms.

The organizer for the event was Stoddert teacher Wanda Zachary. This was the second year she put together a career day at the school. She said she began asking parents and neighbors of the school three or four months prior to the event to get people thinking about participating. Then she visited classrooms giving children guidance lessons and talking about career development.

Students heard from naval officers, diplomats, attorneys, bankers, journalists and business owners in a series of half-hour presentations Thursday and Friday.

Two naval petty officers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spoke with students about the importance of weather forecasting and what they did as meteorologists. They taught students how to "make a weather observation" and asked for feedback on how weather can impact their lives. 

In another session, attorney Mary Clark talked about being a lawyer. She passed around her law school year book to show students that President Barack Obama had gone to school with her.

She told the students that maybe if they work hard and go to law school, they could be like President Obama one day too.