The morning of April 5 saw representatives from area career fields set up on the soccer field at Seitz Elementary for the annual Careers on Wheels event.
Haley Ramirez, Seitz Elementary school counselor, said she was pleased with the community engagement and everyone that was able to attend the event.
"We had a few that had to cancel last minute or couldn't make the rain date," she said. "But we are really happy."
Leading up to the event, students learned about different careers during classroom counseling lessons, she said, and in March they chose which careers they wanted to see.
"One of our main goals at the elementary level is to help kids make the connection between what they are learning now, and they can maybe do later in life," she said. "So, that's one of the things we asked our participants to talk about is how do you use math skills or how do you use reading skills for work. So, helping kids connect the dots and show them different careers that they could potentially do later in life."
Sgt. Michael Lowe, Fort Riley Police Department, said he enjoys talking to the children.
"I enjoy helping the children," he said. "I don't want the kids to be afraid of the police or law enforcement so coming out to these events gives the kids a chance to interact with us and have a good time and not be afraid of us."
Jodi Testa, Seitz Elementary principal, said she enjoyed having a career stop at the event because the children could learn more about what her job entails.
"What I'm showing them is that some days they will see me and then other days they are not going to see me," she said. "So I'm trying to help them understand that my job is not just kids and not just classrooms and not just teachers but its broken toilets and it's making sure that we have our grass mowed and its working with moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas so I think that's been the most eye-opening for them first for them to think that I am a human beyond school."
She also talked to the children about herself during the event because she wanted to let them know that she is more than just their principal.
"You know I'll see them in town shopping and stuff like that and they will look at me and I'll be like 'hey Dragon,'" she said. "And they are just like, 'You shop at Walmart?' You know, they just don't understand, but it's pretty cool. And that yeah, I'm a mom, I'm a grandma, I'm a citizen of the community and not life-long, but I've been here a long time, so they don't get that. "They think I'm just the principal and they think I live here, which sometimes I do, but it's fun, it so good, it's good for kids."
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