Planning for the future: District 211 holds annual Career Expo

For students like Fremd sophomores David Nora and Matthew Ruzanski, who chose to walk through the expo after seeing it set up, this was an opportunity to see what they may need to work on prior to their final years of high school.

"I really went into it just to check it out a little," Nora said. "I hope to come back to it next year. This seems like a great place to let students see what's available while working on their interview skills."

"I think this is a great idea to help students who may not know what they want to go into," added Ruzanski. "Having all these businesses here opens up students' minds about what is available out there."

Students weren't the only interested participants attending the expo. Parents like Cyndi Mirczuk, attended with their students. Mirczuk, whose daughters Amanda and Allison attended Palatine High School, said the expo is a wonderful event all around.

"This event brings the neighboring communities together while presenting job opportunities for the students," she said. "The area businesses are reaching out to the students with both jobs and internships, which my daughters were able to take advantage of."

She added that district programs like the Career Expo help to create a seamless transition for students after graduation. Mirczuk's oldest daughter, Amanda, graduated in 2019 and echoed her mother's appreciation for the expo.

"I really believe the expo helps for a lot of students who may be toggling between different options," she said. "It helped me to choose my major in biochemistry."

Amanda Mirczuk was not the only district alum in attendance at this year's Career Expo. Brianne Victor graduated from Fremd in 2015, and returned as a representative for AAR Corp., based in Wood Dale. She said she was impressed by how the district has advanced its work in post-high school preparation.

"I really wish something like this existed when I went here," she said. "This is great to see. The district has always been great in investing in their students' future, but this is pretty next level."