Students Shadow Workers on the Job
About 130 students from eastern Ventura County and 75 area businesses participated in Groundhog Shadow Day, an event that gives high school and community college students the opportunity to spend a day in the working world with an experienced professional.
The Tuesday event, which was held in communities nationwide, was hosted by Moorpark College for its students and those from Moorpark, Simi Valley, Royal, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and Oak Park high schools.
Students chose from an array of professionals to shadow, including bankers, biologists, hoteliers and people in the medical and insurance fields.
“I had never spoken to anyone who practiced international business law, so it was interesting,” said David Chao, a 17-year-old Oak Park High senior who said he wants to go into the field after he graduates from college.
“The idea is to connect students with possible careers,” said Victoria Bortolussi, dean of institutional advancement at Moorpark College. “We wanted to link what they are learning in school with what they would experience in the workplace.”
This marked the first time the event had been held in Ventura County. And while Moorpark College took the lead in hosting the event, Ed Lyon of the county superintendent of schools office said next year the rest of the county will get involved.
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