IU Kokomo faculty, staff, volunteer at JobSpark expo

KOKOMO, Ind. - Indiana University Kokomo faculty and staff were among the professionals who introduced thousands of Indiana eighth graders to college and career options at the annual JA JobSpark at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

School of Business faculty members Sarah Byrd, visiting lecturer in business; Elizabeth Clayton, assistant professor of management; and Larry Jinkins, assistant professor of sport and recreation management led activities in the career clusters section, while Chancellor Mark Canada and Cheryl Schlemmer, director of international admissions and pathway specialist, met students in the Campus Corner.

"The goal of JobSpark is for students to find an area of interest before they start high school, so they can plan ahead with schedules and take the classes they need to pursue their interest after they graduate," Schlemmer said. "They learned if they need a degree for their potential field, and what high school classes will set them up for success in the future."

Sponsored by Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, JA JobSpark is a multi-day hands-on career expo impacting more than 13,000 Indianapolis eighth graders from 75 schools. The experience includes an in-depth curriculum and activities before and after attending the event.

Students learned about skills needed for jobs that will be in demand when they graduate, and about the equipment used for those jobs daily in career clusters such as architecture, engineering, and construction; agriculture, food, and natural resources; advanced manufacturing, engineering, and logistics; business and finance; government, law, and public service; health and life sciences; hospitality and tourism; and technology.

Schlemmer said for IU Kokomo, it was an opportunity to remind potential students of the opportunities available to them on campus.

"The more we can get out there and tell people the benefits of IU Kokomo - such as affordability and being close to home - the better," she said. "We want students to know that we are a high quality option."

Having faculty there is a bonus, she added.

"They are the experts in their field," Schlemmer said. "They're the ones who can talk about how to earn a degree at IU Kokomo, what the benefits are, what classes they would need to take, and other important facts. They can answer all the students' questions about what it's like to be an IU Kokomo student."

In addition to visiting the career clusters, students also spent time learning about the benefits of higher education.

"The goal of Campus Corner was to help students understand how what they are learning in their classrooms correlates to real world careers," she said.

Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.

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