Professionals Help Pave Students' Futures During Hillside Elementary Career Week

By Pam VandeKamp, Principal at

All this week, students at Hillside Elementary School have been preparing to be professionals of the future. 

During Career Week, students in third grade heard presentations by the Director of the Siena Youth Center in Redwood City, a Licensed Bilingual Speech and Language Pathologist, and the Deputy Probation Officer for County of Alameda Probation Department. 

Fourth and Fifth Graders heard about the career paths of the Director of Seneca Day Treatment Facility, the Police Chief for Bay Area Rapid Transit BART, the Vice President of Student Services at Chabot College, and the Deputy District Attorney from San Jose. 

Second graders listened to a Alameda County of Public Works Crane Operator, a Plumber, Alameda County Fire Department and a Truck Operator/Manager from Waste Management. 

Even some of the youngest students in Kindergarten and First Grade were not left out. They had a chance to hear about the BART K-9 unit and its handlers. 

All of these professionals came coming to Hillside so that the students could understand more about what it takes to prepare for possible future careers.

All presenters stressed the importance of higher education in pursuing their ambitions.

Career Week at Hillside has been a result of the many efforts of their school counselor, Adriel Briscoe.

Mr. Briscoe has been at Hillside for the past three years and has been instrumental in their focus on creating a college-bound culture at the elementary level. 

For the past two years, he has also organized college tours for fourth and fifth-grade students to UC Berkeley, San Jose State and CSU East Bay. 

"I appreciate all of the support from everyone who participated in our career week," he said. "Our students were inspired by the different careers and all the speakers were interesting."

Today, Career Week concluded with a Hillside Spirit Day encouraging students to dress like a professional.

There were many future doctors, lawyers, teachers, and other professionals on campus preparing for the future.