Hands on

There's nothing like a week "on the job" to give students a real-world feel for the careers they're interested in.

 

 

Hands-on, experiential learning is the trend in education today, but Dock has been embracing the concept of hands-on learning for years, and one of the best examples is Senior Experience, where seniors spend a week outside the classroom, in the field, job shadowing in careers they may be interested in pursuing, or learning how to serve others.

Sometimes the experiences confirm students' vocational interests—and sometimes it sends them running in the other direction. In all cases, though, the experiences are valuable.

Additional Senior Experience Journal Excerpts

Tony Luo ► Indian Creek Foundation

Today I studied the definitions and treatments of common adult mental illnesses. One of the most interesting illnesses is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. This is one of the most common mental disorders, especially survivors of war. There are common reasons for PTSD—car accidents, physical or sexual abuse, or violence. However, people with PTSD usually can’t figure out that they need help. Once PTSD happens, it can’t be completely fixed. People who have experienced trauma will respond differently to everyday stressors, possibly leading to retraumatization.

Zizhuo Liang ► Children’s Hospital

The value of my experience is that it further confirmed the intensity of my passion for medicine. I learned that I am suitable for a career in the medical field, and that is exactly what I want to do in the future. I felt a sense of accomplishment…because this is what I love to do. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of one’s passion.

Camron Good ► Broadcom

These shadow days really reinforced how I felt about myself and what I could see myself doing in the future. I’ve always wanted to be an engineer. I’m a person who enjoys hands-on work and creating things for a bigger purpose. 

I get to solve problems by creating things—how cool is that?

Audrey Schweizerhof ► Wildlife Rehab Center

I learned to be unselfish with my time, and to put time and effort toward something other than myself. I felt a sense of accomplishment; I was always looking for a task to do, and I would do it with 100% effort. I got to help vulnerable, injured animals and learn about all types of species. I was allowed to have a hands-on experience. Although I mostly cleaned cages and pens, it never got old. Something new happened each day.

Brody Moyer ► Univest

I felt a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when I got to help out in a model example of someone who was trying to switch a loan. I had to do the math and compare to see if the client would save money switching, or if it would be better for them to keep their current loan. I also felt accomplished when people would explain something to me and I would be able to follow along with what they were saying because of my previous knowledge about the issue. Also, I can use these connections later to get an internship or possibly a job.

Jon Nash ► Project Patch

I woke up at 4 a.m. on New Year’s Day to leave for the airport. My plane left at 7:20 a.m., and I stopped in Chicago for a layover. I got booed for wearing my Eagles hat through Chicago’s airport.

My experience at Project Patch was great. It was cool that I could relate to the guys in the program because I had been in the same program two years earlier. I enjoyed giving back to the community that helped me get my life together and become a more productive citizen of my community. Telling the guys that I had been through the same struggles that they are going through was eye-opening. I never thought I would be in that position. I truly want to go to college to study social work. I believe my calling is to help others that are going through the same things I have gone through.

Troy Vasey ► Pfizer

I was able to meet with someone who walked me through how drugs get approved and become available to us. It can take two years and a half a billion dollars for a drug to come to market. There is a phase called pre-clinical, and this phase is when there is testing on animals. The drug has to be approved by the FDA to move into phase one, where they test healthy males. In phase two, the drug is tested on 30 to 300 people with the disease. Finally, phase three is where they test the drug on up to 3,000 people with the disease. Then the FDA reviews the data and can approve if the drug is safe.

Josh Detweiler ► ExelCom, Bergey’s Chevrolet

It has always been my goal to start and own a business. By shadowing Derek [Loux], it gave me insight into what it’s like to own a business. Derek told me it’s extremely important to know the right people, and to always be on good terms with your past business associates. He stays in communication with former employees and gets business through them. Derek made the point that starting a business will always have ups and downs, but to be successful you have to get back up after falling down.

Grant [Souder ‘16] showed me around the dealership and told me about how he got the job. I found it interesting that he got the job right out of high school. He showed me the process of selling a vehicle, and how they get paid, which is through commission instead of hourly. This can be good and bad, because if you have a slow month you won’t make much money, but if you work hard and develop a good customer base you can make a lot of money. When he started at Bergey’s he was only selling 6-7 cars a month. He has worked at Bergey’s for two and a half years and now sells 11-13 cars per month.

Kasey Cai ► Lijian Pet Hospital

Since there weren’t many people coming on Wednesday, I got to spend time with the patients. There was a poodle in the ICU that gave me a heartbreak. The doctor said that a dog’s ability to bear pain is much greater than humans, so unless they are really hurt, they won’t make any sounds or behave differently. But this poodle was crying so hard that I could tell he was in huge pain. There were many patients in the ICU. I talked to them and pet them softly, trying to make them feel better. That was the moment I told myself that being a veterinarian is what I deeply want in my heart.

I spent most of my day at the beauty department, which is in charge of showering, bathing, and haircutting. Since most Chinese people like to have poodles as their pets, and this kind of dog needs the most haircutting, the beauty department is always busy.

My last task was to help clean the trays under each cage. The smell of dog droppings was horrible, and I accidentally poured some on my shoes. One young vet said that being a vet is not like what people usually see; they also need to do the dirtiest and most tiring jobs. I have some more thinking and reflecting to do after today. My experience has pushed me to think of the distance between reality and the ideal.

Steve Wang ► Dock Mennonite Academy EC-Grade 8 Campus

This has been one of the most valuable experiences of my life. It has taught me the meaning of being a teacher, the skills a teacher needs, and the importance of a teacher. Teaching is not just a job; a teacher is alight to guide students to the correct road, the road they are supposed to be on. Being a teacher does not just mean being a knowledgeable person, but also a person who can play and have fun with kids. As a result, they are more likely to take your classes seriously. I really believe that all the teachers I have met are the gift God gives to me.

Alli Sharkey ► Methacton School District

My Senior Experience and job shadowing both elementary and middle school classrooms was completely eye-opening. I loved the students’ attitudes towards learning and towards each other. The differences between these classes are substantial because of their age difference. I really don’t think I could go wrong with a decision to teach any grade. I would do anything to [teach] first grade because I had such a great first grade teacher, and I would like to influence kids’ lives the same way my first grade teacher influenced mine.

Sam Gingerich ► Schiller and Hersh Associates

I met with Jon Bergey, an electrical engineer. He gave examples of some of the projects he had worked on personally, and demonstrated the AutoCAD program they use to create plans and designs. I was able to meet the other employees of the company—five mechanical engineers, five electrical engineers, and a plumbing and fire prevention specialist. The mechanical engineer I met with had designed the ventilation system at Finneran Pavilion, where the Villanova basketball team plays. I thought it was amazing how such a small company was given this job over much larger engineering companies.

For the rest of the time, I was able to work on AutoCAD myself, and I helped do some easy tasks from real projects she was working on. This made me feel like I was actually part of the company; I got my own desk and everything. I enjoyed working with technology in ways I hadn’t done before.

One final thing I did was to create a floor plan for a section of a building on AutoCAD. I used written notes of the building and pictures taken during a survey to map out the room and everything relevant to electric remodeling—outlets, fans, and speakers. This was almost like a puzzle, and I was scared I would mess it up. Although this kind of work may sound boring to some, I enjoyed it because it involved math and problem-solving.

Michael Chavez ► North Penn Animal Hospital

Today was filled with craziness. The craziest thing was a rabbit with cancer. It had been having a reaction to the chemo it was receiving. Suddenly, a simple appointment to check in became a full-blown emergency. The rabbit’s health spiraled out of control and it was clear it would most likely die. The owner and the vet came to the decision that it would be best to euthanize the rabbit and free it from the pain. It gave me a good idea of how emergency situations are handled.

Another insane visit today was from two massive Retrievers. These dogs just would not sit still. No matter what we tried, they would bark, pull away, and try to bite us. Sonni and I had to double-team and wrestle these dogs so she could cut their nails and administer shots. By the end of the visit I was sore and dripping with sweat. It was like wrestling a full-grown grizzly bear.

The fragility of life is almost incomprehensible, and just thinking about death makes my head spin in circles endlessly. I now feel the impact of a career in the veterinary field would be meaningful, and if I could provide hope in some challenging situations, it would give me purpose.

Julia Rolley ► William Penn Inn

Today was the last day and I got to make something I’ve wanted to learn to make for a long time: macaroons. These were much easier to make than I thought, but you also have to be very precise with measurements.

This was a relaxed, laid back day. I got to see their set-up for brunch and bring desserts, including the cannolis I filled, for customers to eat. That was pretty cool for me to see. I had a great experience in the bakery. Everyone was sweet and very welcoming and patient. However, it did not change my mind about a baking career. Baking is a very time-consuming and precise job, and it requires a lot of standing, which is tiring. So props to chefs/bakers for basically being in pain all day.

Right: Julia Rolley worked with Dock alum Terri Curtis, head pastry chef at the William Penn Inn.

Below: Finishing up a tray of cannoli.