Career Day at Brock Elliott School brought back memories for California Highway Patrol Officer James Bryson who attended that school in his youth and had the same teacher – Donna Goulart — in whose second grade classroom he was making his presentation.
Fire Department paramedic Jered Dahlgren, also making a presentation on Friday, was a friend of Bryson when they both attended Brock Elliott. Both had Goulart as their teacher. Goulart had held on to a photograph of the two of them taken when Bryson was in her class.
The class of well-behaved students had questions ready for the officer. They were definitely excited when they got to go outside and climb through his SUV highway patrol cruiser. Of special interest was activating the siren as the car sat out in front of the school building.
The presenters first gathered in the school library at 1 p.m. for their two-hour long classroom assignments offering everything in various professions from being a firefighter to sign language for the hearing impaired and as an interpreter.
Navy Reservist Matthew Marquis told student the importance of keeping in shape and took them outside and put them through military exercises. Leslie Agostini, a school district nurse, explained the college courses required and her duties in the district. She noted that the students could become nurses in a two-year junior college program. Vonda Denny described the daily routine of real estate sales and Nichola Bratthauer gave the ins and outs of being machinery installer. Victoria Brunn talked on school district public relations duties and Kelly Cronin explained the daily routine of being a correctional officer.
Anne Marie Shaw told of being a speech therapist while also a high school vice principal at Sierra and a program coordinator as well. Dante Alvarez focused on the duties of his job in Human Services – related to hiring and firing of personnel.
The ins and outs of a barbershop was explained by shop owner Patrick Palos. Teichert Construction project engineer Michael White explained his duties in the construction of new buildings and how such a job can be fulfilling in seeing the finished projects. Allstate Insurance agent Stephanie Loureiro explained how her business can be supportive of the families of the Manteca community.
City Clerk Lisa Blackmon, Behavior Technician Shannon Mayfield and Systems Engineer Doug Jones all spoke to fifth graders about their vocations and their importance in society and in the well-being of the community. Fourth graders heard Stephanie Huff speak on her Nutrition Services, Anthony Chapman on high school administration at Sierra High and Jacob Nevin on State Farm Insurance services.
Third graders also heard from Melissa Spray a school counselor and second graders had Jennifer Lew-Vang for Nutrition Services along with firefighter Brian Bagley and Sign Language interpreter Aimee Pastran.
At the first-grade level Mark Cameron explained his efforts in teaching martial Arts. Other speakers were police officer Derek Skeels along with firefighter Zachary Pinol and registered nurse Amanda Romo.
To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.
