Matt Foster
Published: November 9, 2005
The health career fair on Warrington campus has a reputation.
A Warrington campus tradition since 1995, the health career fair is a huge endeavor put on with the help of a myriad of people that usually results in an influx in the campus enrollment.
Through the career fair, local high school students are introduced to some of the programs and fields that are offered at Warrington, such as dentistry and radiography.
The experience is not only beneficial for the area high school students, but also for PJC students as well.
PJC student volunteers from the various programs gave interactive presentations to their guests, showcasing everything from the human patient simulators to working with X-rays.
“Eight or nine kids from each program actually set up the presentations for their respective program and showcased them for the high school students,” said Jennifer Ponson, recruiter in the Warrington campus Provost office and founder of the health career fair.
“It’s definitely a campus-wide event.”
Eleven years ago, the seeds of Ponson’s idea were planted when a small field trip came to the Warrington campus.
“I had about eight students from Woodham come out,” Ponson said. “They really loved it. I thought that if we could do that on a broader scale.that’s where it began.”
From these humble beginnings, the eight-person field trip from Woodham High School has erupted into an event that sees more than 600 students from Santa Rosa and Escambia counties all coming together at one time.
Even more staggering is that in the past, more than half of the students who attend these fairs come and enter the very same programs.
“You get back what you give,” Ponson said. “These (PJC) students have been given an opportunity to share what they love. That really comes across to the high school students and they take that with them.”
“When you love what you do, it shows.”
Others echo Ponson’s sentiments.
“This absolutely was the best career fair ever,” said Dean of Student Success Joan Ziel, who also has been involved with the career fair from the very beginning. “It doesn’t surprise me that over half of the (high school) students come back. These are the students that are already preparing for it. They already want to be doctors and nurses and etc.”
“It’s a very rich feeling.”
