Guess who showed up to the high school career fair…?

Hello!

I represented Kellow Construction at a very prestigious and exclusive event last week: The Santa Barbara High School Career Fair.

I had signed up a few months ago and was genuinely excited. We don’t get invited to much, so when we do, I try to say yes.

I had thought the event would happen during class time, but due to budget cuts it was moved to lunch. Students could pop in between classes. Not mandatory, which for high schoolers, means most will not waste their precious lunch on a rinky dink career fair.  How sad, I thought.

I love the idea of an entire community gathering to support public high school students in finding ways to serve (and be supported by) our workforce. But that was not the case.

There were only a few of us there, the Marines, USPS, the local AIA chapter, a union rep for the trade programs (which are super cool, by the way), and The Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara.

Red faced students would walk up, kind of hoping their friends wouldn’t see them, asking questions in that very honest, innocent way. It made me think about myself in high school. I was always college bound, and so were my friends. If this had been optional, we wouldn’t have gone.

So in a way… it felt a little classist. Not to go there. But I guess I did.

I was talking with Luna, who runs the career center (I think the center is just her), and we got a little heated about it. She said something that stuck: the kids who need the career fair the most are the ones who won’t show up unless it’s mandatory. The ones who need a little extra push. The ones whose parents are working three jobs and raising other kids and don’t have the capacity to sit down and map out a thoughtful next step.As a mom, that hit.

I sincerely loved talking with the Marines, USPS, and especially the trade union fellow (from Local 12345 I can't remember and didn't get his card). So many insights came from those conversations. I was also offered a full swag showering from the Marines, which was very kind, but I politely declined because we are currently very rich in keychains and mouse pads.  Chris Voss with The Commercial Fisherman of Santa Barbara was lovely as well, and made me laugh a lot actually.  His granddaughter came to the fair which was so neat to see, she currently attends SBHS.  It was a lovely afternoon on the beautiful, historic, hallowed grounds of SBHS.

The whole experience made me feel grateful and a disappointed all at once. Kiel and I run a business that prioritizes hiring graduates from local high schools and trade programs, SBHS, San Marcos, Dos Pueblos, SBCC. Six of our ten employees came from those schools. I’m one of them.  It also made me think about how little we value young people, and therefore how little we value the care of young people. And honestly, same elders too.

Wouldn’t it be cool if the high school career fair was a huge community event?  Wouldn’t it be cool if students could get equal credit for work service, especially the ones already helping support their families instead of being required to do community service on top of that? It feels strange to ask people who don’t have the luxury to give… to give more.  I didn’t get much out of my summers at zoo camp or stuffing envelopes for random nonprofits, if I’m being honest.

Anyway, this event brought up a lot for me.

It was also just… nice. Sitting there by myself next to the Marines and the fishermen, talking with young men (and a few young women) about their plans, their support systems, and sometimes the lack of them.

It felt like an honor.  Our public high schools are the training ground for the future of this town.  Major respect to Luna, who is clearly going above and beyond for students who aren’t getting much help at home, not because their parents don’t want to, but because they can’t.

I also learned there’s a full-time position at the district level for career development. He stopped by. Seemed a little sheepish. And I’ll just say… when there are budget cuts, career fairs moved to lunch, and low turnout, it does make you wonder how resources are being used. There’s a full-time position at the district, and he didn’t seem to know any of the students’ names. He made a point to say, “I am here from the district,” which felt a little odd. I get it—he’s trying to make himself visible. But it felt like an off choice of time spent when so much seems to be lacking and needing real attention.

The public sector can be frustrating and confusing for me. But public schools? Always something I will support.

I’m proud to help run a business that values community and prioritizes hiring local high school graduates.

And if you or your people have a remodeling project on the horizon, please keep us in mind. We are really amazing at what we do, and we’d love to hear about it.

Thank you,
Emily