Sovereign Avenue School hosts Career Day
Life is What Happens
My mom used to say that children’s play is their work. When I’m not writing “Life is What Happens” here in the pages of Shore Local, I’m substitute teaching pre-school through 8th grade in Ventnor and Atlantic City schools, so I’ve seen lots of play kitchens, fire stations, operating rooms, car garages, railroads and homes where dolls are being raised. That’s where career planning starts—kids taking on the roles of these important professions, dreaming about what they want to be when they grow up.
So when a teacher at Sovereign Avenue School in Atlantic City asked me if I’d like to come in and talk about my career as a writer—they already knew about my career as a sub—I was more than happy to comply. On April 17, I arrived in my Shore Local hat and t-shirt, where I was warmly welcomed by Mrs. Alanna Young, district preschool instructional coach, who directed the event for the day. Older students escorted the volunteers like me to our various classrooms for our first presentations.
I explained to the students the difference between two kinds of writing for our paper. I shared that a reported journalistic story sticks to the facts—who, what, when, where, and why. Limited opinions and personal take. Just what happened. I discussed with the kids how a column is different because the writer gets to jump in. It’s still true, still grounded—but it’s your take on the world. But it’s not all about the writer. Most of us look for stories or our own experiences that will resonate with readers. For me, I hope they’ll see themselves in what I’ve written, that they’ll recognize their own lives in the story. When readers see themselves reflected, when they think, “Oh, that’s me, that’s my life”—that’s when a column really lands.
I also talked about tailoring stories to your audience. Every newspaper has a point of view, a mission. Shore Local focuses on stories about the shore, the beach, the environment, what happens right here in our community. I’d saved up copies of the paper over a few weeks and sent home many of the students with their own copy, so they could see that mission in action and share a piece of career day with their families.
By the end of the presentation, the students understood that a columnist doesn’t work in a vacuum. The stories need to be approved by the editor who has a sense of what they’re looking for in a column. In this case, for Shore Local, they want stories centered on shore life, the environment, the fact that we live near the ocean, and all that that involves. It’s a collaboration with a shared vision.
Career Day at Sovereign Avenue has grown into something much bigger than a classroom visit. Under the theme “Dare to Dream,” the event draws volunteers from across the community—Atlantic City police officers and firefighters, art gallery owners, bakers, farmers, chefs, writers, film producers, hairstylists, lawyers, and engineers—sharing their journeys with students from Pre-K through 8th grade.
As Principal Nicole Israel put it, “Career Day isn’t just about showing students what jobs exist; it’s about showing them that there is a place for their unique talents in this world.”
How fortunate we career day speakers were to be surrounded by a couple hundred students daring to dream.
Lisa is an advertising copywriter (think ‘Madmen’ without the men), journalist and columnist. Claim to fame: Lou’s waitress for four teenage summers. For column comments, story ideas, or to get on her “quote” list for future columns: redshoeslzs@gmail.com
