Students Get Action-Filled Career and Safety Show

Area educators, pay close attention: Covina High School discovered the sure-fire method for keeping 1,200 students enthralled and well behaved at an outdoor assembly.

Simply land an Army helicopter on your football field, drive several light armored vehicles onto your lunch area and arrange to have a SWAT team rescue your principal from kidnappers.

Putting on a bigger production than usual, Covina High held its annual career and safety exposition Thursday with action-packed demonstrations from various law enforcement agencies and military recruiters.

“A majority of our students are interested in becoming police officers and fire [fighters],” said Kristie Stragier, career coordinator and expo co-organizer. “And if they can’t stay at home and get the training there, a lot of our students go into the Marines and the Army.”

One Covina alumnus, Army Pvt. Phillip Sorensen, 18, said he choose the military to avoid the mundane.

“Otherwise you just stay here and do the same thing,” said Sorensen, who is scheduled to leave for South Korea today. “You work at Burger King, go to Citrus [College]. In the Army it’s a new adventure every day.”

Wearing a Power Rangers T-shirt and a nose ring, Desiree Dunnicliff, 14, looked ready for adventure.

“It’s so neat that they’d do something like this,” said the freshman, who kept her eyes on an emergency rescue demonstration. “I want to be a firewoman, but when I get out of high school, I’m going to join the Marines.”

Anthony Perez, 14, was riveted as rescuers in full gear pried open a car and rescued a dummy from a staged drunk driving accident.

“I can’t wait until the cops get here,” he said. “That’s what I want to be.”