April 22, 2004

ETHS students learn there’s more to a job than meetings

When Evanston Township High School (ETHS) students returned from Job Shadow Day at Northwestern last month, they spoke glowingly about their experiences.

Evanston Township High School senior Whitney Jones (right) works with Beth Fleckenstein, director of nursing at Health Service. Whitney said her Job Shadow experience reaffirmed her desire to work in health care.

photo by Stephen Anzaldi

They said, “I was surprised by how much work goes into the job,” “I like using my creativity to express my views,” and “I learned about the work world and what it means to be a professional.”

“The thing they liked least was the meetings,” joked Ann Richards, ETHS post-secondary career development facilitator. “They didn’t realize how many people sat in long meetings.”

The Job Shadow program, an opportunity for ETHS juniors and seniors to spend a day with an employee in a local work place, opens a window to the career area of the student’s choice. For the third consecutive year, Northwestern teamed with ETHS to give students a look at life at an academic institution.

This year, 22 ETHS students were hosted by units which included research administration, auditing, human resources, policy research, business and finance, design and construction, athletics, engineering and health services.

For a majority of the students, just being at Northwestern was a real plus, according to Richards.

“This was their only opportunity, while in high school, to be on campus and to interact with faculty and staff,” she explained. “They saw firsthand how their own education relates to their future.”

The experience of Robert Williams, manager of husbandry and facilities in the Center for Comparative Medicine, reflects the value of Job Shadow Day from both sides. As a host, he claimed he got more out of it than the student. “I forgot how much fun it is to interact with young people,” he said.

Whitney Jones, a student interested in health care, met with several members of the Health Service staff. She enjoyed an exchange of information in the various specialties of health care and discussion about the range of career choices. Whitney also observed the functions of the Health Service laboratory.

“Everyone enjoyed the experience,” said Elizabeth Fleckenstein, director of nursing. “The staff enjoyed it because it gave them an opportunity to talk about the field and promote different careers within health care.”

Whitney, who wants to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner, thanked the staff for the experience and said it reaffirmed her desire to work in health care.

Northwestern employees who would like to host a student next year should contact Janie Savage, assistant to the senior vice president for business and finance, at (847) 491-5534.