Career Day at Bethlehem Central Middle School allows seventh graders to explore various professions and gain insight into different paths they can pursue in the future. Business owners, physicians, police officers, attorneys, researchers, bus drivers, artists and environmentalists were among the presenters who filled this year’s classrooms with conversations, questions and answers about their day-to-day activities and their individual career journeys.
Career Day at BCMS has grown over the last few years with nearly 60 guest speakers this year, many of whom are community members and parents of students at the school.
The annual event is coordinated by Family and Consumer Science teachers Maria Hayes and Lindsey Bradt. Their success has become a model for other middle schools across the region. Representatives from Van Antwerp Middle School in Niskayuna and Shaker Middle School in North Colonie have visited the school and have interviewed the duo in an effort to replicate the BCMS Career Day. They have also published an online book to help their colleagues set up similar events.
Thank you to Ms. Hayes and Ms. Bradt and a special shout-out to the outstanding Career Day guests who inspired students this year. They are:
- Sarah Blanford (International Development/Foreign Aid)
- Nicholas Cartagena (General Counsel)
- Ben Clark (Federal Prosecutor)
- Jennifer Corcoran Conway (Assistant Attorney General)
- Chris Fishel (Entomologist)
- Michael O’Connell (NYS Police Investigator)
- Sgt. Curtis Rich ( NYS Trooper)
- Tracy Semeiks (NYS Judge)
- Jonathan Stroble (Public Defender- Albany County)
- Sue Cardona-Meyer (Health Coach)
- Ilana Harwayne-Gidansky (Pediatric Intensivist)
- Benjamin Infantino (Pediatric Gastroenterologist)
- Dr. Rebecca Keim (Surgeon)
- Rachel Moyal-Smith (Implementation Science Director)
- Gina Peattie (Nonprofit Executive Director)
- Erica Roccario-Thorpe (Operations Manager/Healthcare)
- Amy Serk (Large animal Veterinarian)
- Patricia Wukitsch (Dietitian)
- Tim Blake (Owner, BBB Techs)
- Jason Bradt (Equipment Operator – Town of Bethlehem)
- Guinevere Gorman (Owner, GRACE ROOFING LLC)
- Nathan Graber (Mineral Resource Specialist (Geology)
- Ryan Hess (Pilot)
- Ed Larkin (Architecture/Engineering)
- Kevin Nasadoski (Owner, Landscape for Less)
- Rachel Peselev (Bus Driver, BCSD)
- Andy Sacher (Bus Driver, BCSD)
- Evan Thorpe (National Grid)
- Rich Akullian (Creative Agency/Design)
- Holly Andreou (Library Assistant)
- Francesca Casaregola (Fundraiser)
- Tracy Chenette (Realtor)
- Erik LaChance (Insurance Agent)
- Angela Consolo (Marketing Manager)
- Amy LaChapelle (Realtor)
- Molly Michalek (Auto Insurance Claims)
- Lea Montalto-Rook (Nonprofit Administration)
- Daniel O’Brien (IT Infrastructure Manager)
- Kerry Brand (Psychologist)
- Lindsay Dashew (Actress/Theatre Teacher/Director)
- Chris Englebert (Environmental Engineer)
- Audrey Evans (NYS Parks & Recreation, Thacher Park)
- Ian Evans (NYS Parks & Recreation, Thacher Park)
- Katie Hebert (Regeneron)
- Anne Lemon (Lead Scientist)
- Max Lippitt (Semiconductor Industry- Nanoscience)
- Theodore Martin (Physicist, PhD Researcher for US Navy)
- Elisabeth Pritchett (Film Trailer Editor)
- Cindy Burek (Owner, Buttercup Cookie)
- Matt Callahan (Tri-City Valley Cats)
- Victoria Carl (Owner, Carls Advanced Auto)
- Lauren Clark (Mohawk Hudson Humane Society)
- Manny Criscione (Owner, Uncrushable Nutrition)
- Nathan Farrell (NCAA D1 Basketball Referee)
- Sandro Gerbini (Owner, Gatherer’s Granola)
- Nick Vennard (Director of Gameday Operations, Albany FireBirds)
- Ben Nelson (Director of Media, Albany Firebirds)
- Spike (Team Mascot, Albany FireBirds)
- Shanna Schuster (USS Slater)