Teaching careers front and center at CHEC Career Expo

The 22nd annual CHEC Career Fair at Jonas T. Kennedy Center on Feb. 14, 2019. (Panther photo by Keiana Joaquin)

Claflin University joined with South Carolina State and Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College to sponsor the annual Community Higher Education Council Career Expo on Valentine’s Day at Claflin’s Jonas T. Kennedy Center.

Students said the event compared favorably with the fall career fair sponsored by Claflin. Teaching jobs were front and center.

“There were way more vendors and students present at the spring career fair compared to the fall,” sophomore Ka’Jherik Campbell said. “There were multiple tables pertaining to education majors, more than any other major this year compared to last year. It was very informative and beneficial to the student body.”

Although there were a good amount of new faces of vendors at the spring event, there were a couple of returning vendors from the fall.

“We’re … here looking for great candidates for teachers,” said Felisa G. McDavid of St. James Elementary School. “We haven’t had a lot of people but several people came to our table because there are so many jobs here. Just about everyone who’s an education major has been stopping here.”

Dr. Pamela Pepper of Meeting Street Schools said, “We are a returning school to the career fair and we pride ourselves on the fact that we provide all things for kids. We provide all the wrap-around services for kids as far as their education, parenting, social and emotional things, just about everything a kid needs to be successful in life.”

“As far as teaching goes, I think it let students see that teaching is a growing perfection. Teachers, we create all jobs, so we are the start for all careers. We are the starting point of all professions, so this career fair, you can see if you want to be a mass comm major, you can pursue a profession being a teacher. A teacher covers all fields and all majors,” said Claflin 2016 graduate and middle school teacher Keydareon Graham.
Vendors Jeffery Mayo and Robert Mahoney were pleased with the number of students coming to their tables.

“We’ve had a few students come by the table and fill out applications, but we distributed a lot more information to the students,” Mahoney said.

“I have been here recruiting before and we’ve probably had about 15 or 20 people today come by so far,” Mayo said.

Upperclassmen said the career fair is valuable – to a point.

“The career fest is here to give you an idea of what is out here in the career world,” sophomore mass communications major Rosetta Mitchell said. “I think Claflin tries, but not hard enough, when it comes to the job opportunities that come here.”

“There isn’t too much different from the last. I feel as though it should have more variety as far as jobs for each major,” senior mass communication major Amber Price said.

“I feel the career fair was very beneficial because I personally don’t know exactly what I want to do after school and there were some careers there that it didn’t matter what major you were, you could still be a part of their job. And it would be like a year-long program. And then after that year, they helped you find jobs,” senior sociology major Zariyah Lee said.

Claflin sophomores Nayasia Hawkins and Charles Herdon discuss Army opportunities. (Panther photo by Keiana Joaquin)

Keydareon Graham, a 2016 Claflin graduate, is a middle school teacher. (Panther photo by Kierra Felder)

Representing Americorps affiliate City Year at the career expo are, from left, Cali Keeran, Valencia Johnson and Heather Turner. (Panther photo by Asaara Hill)

(Panther photo by Asaara Hill)