On the afternoon of April 3rd, SHSID was honored to host 20 guests in the Zhongxing building, most of whom are parents of 9th and 10th graders. Representing diverse occupational backgrounds, the parents came to give the students lectures about career development. Their career fields were very diverse and included architectural design, artificial intelligence, healthcare, real estate, stage design, psychological counseling, financial investment, and so on. Some presenters were young and energetic, others had already grown white hair, each sharing one commonality—their eyes gleam with passion and excitement when talking about their jobs. Within the timespan of roughly two hours, each student could attend 3 lectures to learn about 3 different occupational directions. Given such a precious opportunity, the students discussed their intended occupational areas with excitement. For students with a wide variety of interests, this was the perfect time to gain a more profound understanding of the details of a specific career.

The contents of the lectures were diverse and brilliant. A psychology expert led the students on a journey toward understanding themselves. By looking for colored cards that correctly described themselves, each student eventually found that their character was also vibrantly colored: some belonged to the reasoned red, some whimsical yellow, and some were gentle green. Most importantly, through increased self-awareness and communication, the students recognized that character does not limit behavior, but rather helps one both better accept themselves and others and communicate effectively.

Dr. Henry, a pediatrician from a well-known hospital, gave the curious attendees a motivational lecture about the “noble mission of a doctor.” He quoted the lines of a famous anesthesiologist, “Is a dose of anesthetic worth $4000? The injection of anesthetic is free. The $4000 you pay is for my professional judgement in ensuring your safe awakening after the surgery.” Within the short span of the lecture, Dr. Henry frequently referenced insightful quotes. The image of a respected, daring doctor is now crystal clear in the minds of all the students.

A guest who has worked in the field of human resources for more than 20 years shared a variety of work anecdotes with the students, such as the challenges of lay-offs, the bustle of opening a new factory, and so on. The students learned that in addition to their daily work, a human resources officer attends many business meetings to know the demands and business priorities of the team as well as how to assist employees in balancing their work and family flexibly.

There were many such wonderful lectures, each of which provided the students with a unique perspective on understanding the world. After the lectures were over, the hallway was filled with serious discussions among the students. One said, “It seems like investment management is an attractive occupation, but the risks are also quite high. Studying AP economics is indeed quite necessary.” Other similar conversions continued throughout the building. The annual Career Day event provided a rare chance for the students to find their own interests, expand upon their abilities, and plan for their course selections in the future.

We extend a sincere thanks to the guests that took their precious time to open up a window and shed light onto their career paths for the students at SHSID.

(Written by Mindy Choi 10(1), Andrew Cheng 10(6), John Zou 10(8)      Pictures by Grades 9 and 10 students and teachers      Supervised by Dandan Zhou)