Troup Kids Glimpse Their Future

Stephen Stanley braced himself for a barrage of student questions. And, sure enough, came this one: ​“What’s the grossest part of being a dentist?”

The answer: Working in a close, damp space, where nobody really wants you there.

Stanley had another answer, too, about why students might want to work one day in his chosen profession: ​“No one likes dentists, but we help. People say there’s nothing worse than a toothache.”

Stanley made one of a dozen presentations Wednesday to eighth-graders at Augusta Lewis Troup School’s second annual career day.

Maria Nuterangelo, one of the event organizers, said the event was intended to help eighth graders at Troup pick a magnet school or a course of study in high school to prepare them for a career later on. Presenters included New Haven police officers, an engineer with a renewable energy firm, a young adult fiction author and a representative from New Haven Legal Assistance Association, among others. Groups of students rotated between the tables every 15 minutes.

Edwin Sanchez said he was glad to participate in the event, though he would have liked to see a presenter from the military there. Planned presenters from the military and from the fire department couldn’t end up making it to the event; Board of Education member Edward Joyner, father of Troup Prinicipal Monica Joyner, filled in for the firefighter.

Sanchez said the military represents a way out of New Haven for him.

“I just want something where I can get away from where I’m at,” Sanchez said. Sanchez said he would be happy to be a Marine.

Jayle Jesus, another student, said she relished the opportunity to talk to people in new and interesting careers; she wants to go into business, though she doesn’t yet know which kind of business.

“Everyone keeps asking me, but I’m not sure,” she said.

Darnell Glover, said the event piqued his interest in engineering and science. He hopes to become a veterinarian and work with animals.

Jim Hannon, who works for TPI Composites, which manufactures blades for wind turbines, was pleased to see the student interest in engineering. He said interest in green energy is expanding almost as fast as the industry. Wind, according to Hannon, is the fastest growing source of electricity worldwide and in the U.S. Engineering activities and clubs could play a key role in sparking student interest and maintaining their involvement through high school, Hannon said.

Kat Rosenfield, a magazine writer and fiction author, said she hoped to encourage students to pursue writing.

Even though Rosenfield has been writing fiction since high school, it took her years to realize she could pursue it as a career.

“I had to rethink my career path,” Rosenfield said, adding that her time at a public relations firm gave her unexpected access to writers and publishers. Rosenfield said that reading, even reading books you don’t like, is key to developing one’s skill as a writer. She encouraged students to keep up with their literary education.

Representatives from the New Haven Police Department encountered a tougher crowd.

Officers Jarrell Lowery and John Moore asked a group of students what they thought the purpose of the police department is.

“To protect people,” one student said.

“To shoot people,” a second added.

​“To tase people,” a third said.

“We don’t like to to do that,” Lowery said, before the officers outlined the tests police recruits undergo and showed off some of the department’s equipment, including a battering ram and shield.

Officer Joseph Staffieri, with the K‑9 unit, drew the most attention, showing off one of the department’s dogs, 4‑year-old Magnum. Magnum was trained to respond to commands in German and to find drugs, people, and weapons. Many of the students were enthralled with the dog, while others shied away.

Dyamond Myers, the school social worker and one of the organizers of the event, said career days were vital for students trying to choose a high school. Myers said the community, particularly the presenters helped make the event a success.