Last week, on The Observer Live!, we discussed some aspects of how things are happening at Kearny’s Lincoln Middle School. Yours truly had the privilege of judging the 2024 Optimist Club Oratorical contest, where I witnessed 12 fine speeches delivered by 11 girls and one boy from the seventh- and eighth-grades.
And just a week before that, April 10 to be precise, Lincoln Middle School hosted its first-ever Career Day, an initiative brought to life through the support of WIPRO and the dedicated efforts of LMS WIPRO fellows and LMS teachers Patricia Hester-Fearon, Jacqueline Galella, Betty Rodriguez, Kim Serino and Jessica McMasters.
It all had the blessing of first-year Principal James Hempel, of whom several have said has Lincoln Middle School “happening.”
The event, organizers say, took months of meticulous planning and coordination. The involvement of numerous local professionals in the endeavor underscores how critical the event was.
The day was marked by the participation of 24 professionals from a broad spectrum of fields, including the arts, trades, STEM, business, first responders and medical and veterinary sciences, as well as less traditional career paths.
“Our approach was to tailor the experience to our eighth-grade students’ future aspirations, which we gauged through a survey conducted in the fall,” Erika Kliszus, digital literacy & communication director at Lincoln Middle School, said. “Students were grouped by their areas of interest and had the opportunity to engage in three immersive sessions, allowing them to explore careers in-depth.”
Local presenters included Julie Padinha Schirm, of Next Step Dance; Mark Wiggins, of the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home; Wanny Wong, owner of Intrinsic Bakery; Jack Pettigrew, an Army Corps Engineer and retired firefighter; Robert Zdichocki, an electrician; Sgt. Adriano Marques, of the Kearny Police Department; and Deputy Chief Michael Hyde, of the Kearny Fire Department
“An exceptional hands-on clinic was offered by our own math teacher, David Smart, in landscape design/engineering, where students actively contributed to beautifying the school garden,” Kliszus said. “The day was enriched by demonstrations and interactive sessions, including a memorable fencing experience, courtesy of elite professionals Guillermo Madrigal Sardinas and Yamina Salvat-Vives.”
Klizus says the event provided students with a broad overview of possible career paths and enabled them to interact with and learn from professionals.
“The enthusiasm and participation of both students and presenters was inspiring, making this Career Day a testament to the potential within our community to uplift and educate our youth,” Klizus said.At Li
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.