Cubberley Hosts Elementary Career-Ready Event

Animal Control's Shalimar Oliver
meets the kids.

Fifth-graders from Cubberley Elementary, Juarez Elementary and Wegeforth Elementary got a head start preparing for the workforce at Building Bridges to the Future, a career-ready event for elementary students. Approximately 130 attendees explored fields ranging from engineering to video production.

The event featured six presentations from speakers like Shalimar Oliver, an animal control officer for the San Diego County Department of Animal Services, and Willie Buchanon, a former NFL player for the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers.

Chemist Brad Savall, from Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development LLC, inspired at least one student to proclaim his career aspirations.

"It was awesome,” said fifth-grader Jose Cautino-Lopez. “I always knew I wanted to be a scientist, but now I really know."

Presenters encouraged the students to set goals and pursue professions they would love, even if they did not have a particular career in mind already.

"I got really great ideas about what jobs I wanted to do," said Brianna Cormier, a student at Cubberley Elementary.

The event was organized for the Serra Mesa neighborhood schools with the help of the Office of College, Career & Technical Education. For more information, contact Ralph West, CCTE program manager, at 858-503-1747 or rwest1@sandi.net.