Ninth graders got a glimpse of the future as 23 professionals shared words of wisdom during Alumni Career Day at Massapequa High School’s Ames Campus on April 25. The 18th annual event spotlighted the many career paths taken by graduates of Berner and Massapequa high schools.
Each group of students attended two panel discussions. All ninth graders got to hear from about 10 professionals that morning, whose careers included business and finance, communications and marketing, culinary arts, education, engineering, entertainment, law enforcement, medicine and politics. Graduates spanned five decades, from 1970 to 2019.
Supervisor of Career and Technical Education Patricia LiVecchi said that the speakers were encouraged to share their stories and give real accounts of their careers, including the challenges they face. The goal was for ninth graders to learn about prospective careers and understand the steps they need to take to pursue those fields.
“I want to thank all of our speakers for their time, their energy and their enthusiasm in sharing with the students how they got to where they are and that it’s OK to change your mind in the middle,” Ms. LiVecchi said, noting that many of the speakers changed careers.
Ms. LiVecchi said that the regardless of the profession, all of the presenters has the same general message about the importance of hard work and persistence.
Superintendent Dr. William Brennan also shared his gratitude for the alumni who returned to share their career journeys and inspire Massapequa’s learners and leaders.
“Their willingness to engage in meaningful conversations and offer timeless advice is a priceless gift that will shape our students' futures,” Dr. Brennan said. “Seeing our alumni give back is a powerful testament to the strength and spirit of the Massapequa community. Their stories are lighting the way for the next generation, and we look forward to continuing this tradition of connecting students with the remarkable professionals who once walked these very halls.”
Students found the career day panels very informative. Keira F. said it was inspiring that all of the speakers were in careers they love, and the message that made the most impact was that she and her classmates should pursue their personal interests.
“Everyone’s path was so different,” Keira said. “Everyone is so successful but they’re doing completely different things.”
Delaney D. and Chase G. both said the biggest lesson for them was the importance of talking to people to build connections.
“I loved hearing everyone’s different careers and seeing the variety,” Delaney said. “Listening to all of them saying what they love doing gave me an understanding of what maybe I want to do in the future.”
Chase added that he was appreciative that the alumni gave their time to give advice to the next generation of professionals.
“The people who come from Massapequa are willing to help out their community,” he said. “It was cool how we were able to learn how they got their careers, hear about who inspired them, and see how they went to Massapequa and ended up where they are.”