Annual Event Gives Students a Firsthand Look at Future Career Opportunities Across Davie County
Hundreds of Davie County fifth-grade students spent the day exploring future career possibilities during the annual Careers on Wheels event held May 19 at Davie County Community Park, a hands-on career awareness experience designed to introduce students to a wide range of professions at an early age.
The event is a partnership between Davie County Schools Career and Technical Education (CTE), Davidson-Davie Community College, the Davie County Chamber of Commerce, and Davie County Recreation & Parks.
Approximately 450 fifth-grade students attended the event, along with students from the high school’s Soaring Eagles program. High school students from the Carpentry program participated as vendors and demonstrators, while students from the Teaching as a Profession class helped run the event.
Interactive Learning Brings Careers to Life
Throughout the day, students rotated through interactive exhibits hosted by local businesses, trades professionals, emergency responders, healthcare workers, government agencies, and community organizations. Students climbed into trucks and heavy equipment, explored emergency vehicles, learned about tools and machinery, and spoke directly with professionals about their jobs.
This year’s participants included Ashley Furniture, Dane Construction, Davie Construction, the Davie County Arts Council, Davie County EMS, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office, Davidson-Davie Community College, Joe’s Tow, Lagle Crane & Steel, Mocksville Concrete Company, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension with a tractor from Ray Crotts, NCDOT, the NCDOT Aviation Division, NCSECU, the North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association, Novant Health, RH Lawncare, Riddle Tractor, Shutterbug Photography, Skyline National Bank, Snow Biz, State Farm agent Darryl Bandy, Topline Comfort Solutions, the Town of Mocksville, Trinity Elms, and DCS War Eagle Construction. Emergency vehicles from Mocksville, Fork, and Advance fire departments also participated through the Davie County Fire Marshal’s Office. Skyline Bank also donated bags for students attending the event.
New Awards Recognize Outstanding Participants
For the first time this year, organizers also presented fun awards to participating businesses and organizations that made a memorable impact on students throughout the day.
The Davie County Arts Council received “The Crowd Magnet” award for the vehicle that consistently drew the longest lines and biggest crowds of curious students.
War Eagle Construction earned “The Hands-On Hero” award for providing the best interactive demonstration experience for students.
NCSECU received “The Swag Superstar” award for offering the coolest and most useful giveaways for students attending the event.
Davie County Fire Marshal Cameron Webb was presented with “The Career Spark Award” for providing the most inspiring and engaging explanations of his career in fire service and emergency response.
Building Career Awareness at an Early Age
According to Alyse Wooldridge, Davie County High School’s career development coordinator, the purpose of the event is to showcase local career pathways and educational opportunities that can lead students toward successful futures.
“This year we tried to arrange things a little differently,” said Wooldridge. “We created ‘IGNITE Davie World’ with Davidson-Davie vehicles because fifth grade is that magic year that will qualify students for free education, so we wanted to highlight that for students, just so that they know that that is an option for them.”
“We want to start talking about IGNITE Davie early on, start talking about careers early on so that they can see their opportunities and take advantage of them,” she added. “We also brought in some of our high school students to showcase programs that they can take in high school.”
That early exposure is part of a broader career development effort underway throughout Davie County Schools, according to Stefanie Morris, career development coordinator. She explained that students begin learning about careers as early as kindergarten through classroom jobs, guest speakers, and career-related activities. By fifth grade, students enter the “awareness” stage of career development.
“Their fourth and final career lesson is the Careers on Wheels event. This allows the students to take what we have learned in the classroom and make it more real by interacting with the businesses, seeing their vehicles and other job tools, doing interactive activities, and asking questions to the business leaders about their jobs. It is a really cool process to see the kids thinking and dreaming about future possibilities.”
Students Discover New Interests and Possibilities
Students said the event helped connect classroom learning to real-world careers in a meaningful and exciting way.
“I think the most valuable thing about this event is that kids get to learn about different careers and see what they might want to do when they grow up,” said Jason Guss, a 5th grader at William R. Davie Elementary School. “They can choose a career, have a good future, and live a good life. I liked that the firefighters taught us a lot about staying safe and that you can start volunteering when you’re 14. I would probably want to join because I want to help people.”
Sam Miller, a 5th grader at Shady Grove, enjoyed hammering nails with the Davie County High School War Eagles Construction team. “It was fun, and I learned that you can go to school and get a job that uses skills like that.”
Teachers attending the event said the hands-on format kept students engaged and encouraged them to consider careers they might not have previously considered.
“Careers on Wheels is showing the students different types of careers, and giving them ideas of things they might not have even thought of,” said Katarina Forseberg, a school counselor at Shady Grove. “Learning about careers in the classroom isn’t the same as seeing and doing it live, so I think this experience is very valuable. They are digging in and having a great time. They have learned a lot of different things and asked a lot of questions.”
“The students are young, but events like this start building their knowledge about what’s available to them,” added Diane Ireland, a 5th-grade teacher at William R. Davie Elementary.
Local Professionals Inspire the Next Generation
For many participating organizations, the event was an opportunity not only to showcase careers but also to invest in the next generation.
Students visiting the North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association booth had the chance to stir mortar with a trowel and spread it onto bricks while learning about masonry careers and related high school programs.
Novant Health Critical Care team members Christy Evans-Bates, RN, and Savannah Lynch, RN/EMT, introduced students to healthcare careers beyond the traditional hospital setting.
“So we have a variety of professions {on the ambulance},” Evans-Bates explained. “We have EMTs, we have paramedics, and we have nurses. So it’s three different educational levels, and a well-rounded start for a lot of people.”
“Every one of us has a community college education, although you can go on and get your bachelor’s, as I did later in life. This career is affordable, helps your community, and offers a different alternative because we are a mash-up of EMS and the ICU. It’s the best of both worlds for both professions.”
“As a kid, I thought nurses worked in hospitals or doctors’ offices, nursing homes — not actually on an ambulance,” added Lynch. “So it’s just a good opportunity for kids to see that there are other things they can do if they want to be a nurse.”
Davidson-Davie Community College representatives Arthur Meadows and McKenzie Ellis used welding and cutting simulators to introduce students to technical programs available at the college.
“When I was young, I didn’t have the opportunity for a free education like these students,” said Meadows. “Many technical careers are in great demand. We want to encourage them to learn about and take advantage of their options.”
Darryl Bandy and Allison Harrell from the State Farm Bandy Agency also participated in the event to give back to the community they have served for nearly 25 years.
A Career Development Journey That Continues Beyond Elementary School
Morris said Careers on Wheels is one step in a much larger career development process that continues throughout middle school and high school.
“This leads students into middle school, where they begin career exploration,” explained Morris. “Students learn about themselves, start matching their own values, skills, and personalities with career options, and then explore those careers. Through guest speakers, Manufacturing Day visits to local businesses for 7th graders, and opportunities for 8th graders to explore programs at our high school and Davidson-Davie Community College, students gain firsthand exposure to a wide range of career options.”
For Wooldridge, one of the most rewarding aspects of the event is watching students progress through the full career development journey over time.
“I’ve had a full-circle moment a couple of times today,” she explained. “I taught one of the guys from DOT. I’ve got a student who graduated last year who helped create the pre-apprenticeship program at EMS here. I also have a current pre-apprentice at Mocksville Fire, and a previous intern at Advance Fire, so it’s cool to see how kids go through the whole process.”
Inspiring Students to Dream About the Future
For many students, Careers on Wheels was more than just a school activity. It was an opportunity to begin thinking about future careers, discover new interests, and see firsthand the many opportunities available within Davie County and beyond.