Guest Speakers Encourage Students to Dream Big at Elementary Career Day

November 21 was Elementary Career Day at PA Distance! Throughout the day, students listened to various guest speakers describe what they love most about their jobs.

One of the presenters was photographer and teacher Amber Fox. When Amber isn’t instructing classes at PA Distance Learning Charter School, she’s capturing photos around the Pittsburgh area. 

During the event, she talked about what she usually carries in her camera bag and showcased her website filled with stunning images of families, newborns, and adorable pets. Amber explained how she loves photographing weddings the most, mainly because she almost always gets to sample a cookie table. As a self-proclaimed cat lover, she also enjoys snapping pictures of all the animals at the Pittsburgh Zoo.

Jake Elk spoke to students about his role as a municipal policeman in Mt. Lebanon. He shared photos of Bear, the 14-month-old K-9 he gets to work with on a daily basis. Since Bear is a new addition to the team, he’s still learning the ropes as an officer in training.

On his slide about modes of transportation, Officer Elk joked, “I know I’m about to get made fun of, but sometimes we use these electric bikes to patrol in the summer. I’ve reached 20 MPH on one before!”

The day was packed with exciting presentations and questions from curious students. But 5-month-old Waffles and 11-year-old Gibby stole the show when they performed an array of tricks alongside Bridget Lydon. 

Bridget is a trainer at Pawsitive K9 Behavior School and has grown up around dogs her whole life. She currently has five at home.

When asked how hard is it to be a teacher, Coleen Brennen explained, “Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what works best for students, so we appreciate when you advocate for yourselves. It’s always okay to say, ‘I don’t understand this!’” 

Composer Iman Habibi urged students to be fearless when pursuing their dreams. “If you’re interested in something, go for it. Starting young really helps!”

We would like to thank all of our elementary counselors for their hard work in organizing this event and our speakers for encouraging everyone at PA Distance to dream big. Keep an eye out for more information regarding the upcoming Middle School Career Day event in January and High School Career Week in March! #WhereTeachingStillMatters

Below, you can find a list of those who presented:

Jamie Bate - Speech and Language Pathologist

Brittany Carroll - Nurse

Sarah Charrie - Taco Bell Manager

Amber Fox - Photographer

Jake Elk - Police Officer

Coleen Brennen - Teacher

Bridget Lydon - Dog Trainer

Amanda Lesondak - Horticulturist

Ben Kleifgen - Pediatrician

Taylor Mauritz - Cosmetologist 

Iman Habibi - Composer

Jonathan Winbush - Visual Effects Artist

Reilly Meyer - Community Engagement Coach