Grownups with big jobs

A doctor and a film producer. A welder and a hairdresser. A dentist and a rocket scientist. A detective and his bomb-sniffing dog.

Just a few of the visitors who dropped by Meridian Elementary School for its second annual career day last Friday. Representing a wide variety of occupations, 16 presenters came to class to give students an introduction and better understanding of what their jobs entail.

The school’s young ambassadors program, a resourceful group of fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders – 110 strong – helped facilitate the program. Ambassadors grow and mature in the program as responsible, task-taking project leaders.

Career day opens the possibilities to discovering young minds.

“So sixth-graders can start thinking about their lives as they transition to middle school,” said Audrey Farris, a behavioral interventionist at the school. “Sometimes it’s a very narrow lens. It’s like, ‘I want to be a basketball player. I want to be this.’ … This gives them a broader (look) of the different occupations.

“It’s helping kids realize there’s a community, something bigger that’s around them.”

Special guests included Detective John Lewitt, a 25-year member of the Seattle Police Department’s arson/bomb squad, who brought along his furry, wet-nosed sidekick Boomer. The 9-year-old pit Labrador, a rescue dog that’s been trained to help the arson/bomb unit locate explosives, promptly found wherever Lewitt’s make-believe, funny-smelling box was hidden in classrooms.

“I love my job. It’s something new every day,” said Lewitt, whose three children attended Meridian Elementary. His daughter, Megan, teaches at the school today.

In Vernon Hosannah’s classroom, Brandon Greenwood was busy describing how he makes movies, reality TV shows and videos. He produced a string of national T-Mobile commercials.

The kids, including Greenwood’s daughter, Gabriella, a fourth-grader, were captivated by the director’s work. “Do what makes you happy,” Greenwood told his young audience.