Fort Polk takes part in Parkway Elementary School career day

FORT POLK, La. — Parkway Elementary School held a career day April 21 in the school gym.

Representatives at the fair included Capt. William Frie from Fort Polk’s Dental Activities Command; Kemberly Johnson from the LSU Ag Center’s 4-H program; Staff Sgt. Cameron Reeves, a combat medic from Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital; Sgt. 1st Class Robert Neese with the military working dog section of the 519th Military Police Battalion; and Natasha Johnson, a nutritionist with the LSU Ag Center.

Students took part in a series of presentations from careerists telling what people in their career field do.

Frie kept the children engaged with a series of “dad jokes” like “What is a dentist’s favorite animal? A Molar Bear.”

There was also a demonstration of how to make butter using a mason jar and a quart of heavy whipping cream; how to practice treating Soldiers with wounds on the battlefield; a military working dog demonstration; and a puppet show with removable organs from the nutritionist.

Dione Bradford, principal of Parkway Elementary School and the 2021 Louisiana State Principal of the Year, said the event was held to open the students’ minds to the career possibilities awaiting them in the future.

“Most of our students at Parkway come from military Families,” she said. “We want each one of them to know that if they work hard and apply themselves, they can be anything they want to be when they grow up and choose a career. We want them to reach for the stars.”