Career Shadowing Helps Dock Seniors Discover Gifts, Purpose and Calling

After spending part of her Senior Experience shadowing a producer and correspondents at CBS News in Manhattan, Dock senior Millie Landis came away impressed by what she had seen—but also by what the professionals she met kept telling her.

They were surprised that her high school had given her an entire week to do it.

“Dock is one of the only schools that I’ve heard of that gives students this opportunity to get a real glimpse into jobs before we graduate,” Millie shared with the Dock community during chapel.

That opportunity is at the heart of Senior Experience at Dock Mennonite Academy. While the rest of the High School participates in Mini-Term, seniors spend at least 30 hours over four or more days in career-shadowing or service placements.

For one week, learning moves beyond the classroom and into hospitals, businesses, laboratories, nonprofits, classrooms, newsrooms, workshops, and other workplaces throughout the community and beyond.

But as students reflected on their experiences in chapel, it became clear that the week is about much more than discovering a possible career.

Connecting Career Exploration, Faith and Purpose

For Maddie Gendron, Senior Experience raised a deeper question about the relationship between passion, purpose, and faith.

Maddie shared the words of 1 Peter 4:10:

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

“I think that’s what I was really discovering during shadow week,” Maddie reflected. “Not just what I’m passionate about, but how I can use the gifts God has given me to serve others.”

Maddie explored several settings during the week, including a preschool, counseling center, and healthcare. Those experiences helped her distinguish between something she enjoys and something she might feel called to pursue.

“Just because I’m passionate about something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s my purpose,” she said. “I can enjoy something and recognize that I’m gifted in it without necessarily it being what God is calling me to do.”

Eventually, shadowing a nurse helped Maddie see pediatric nursing as a possible place where her love for children, desire to help others, and faith could come together.

Learning From the Work—and the People

Other Dock seniors found themselves asking similar questions in very different settings.

Daniella Slater-Miller spent time at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where she shadowed a nurse anesthetist and observed healthcare professionals working together. Particularly meaningful was her time in a proton therapy center, where she encountered young children receiving cancer treatment. Their joy and resilience left a lasting impression.

“I wanna make a difference for kids one day,” Daniella shared.

The experience strengthened her plans to pursue pediatric nursing while also giving her a deeper sense of gratitude.

For Isaiah Hagan, Senior Experience connected directly with service he had already experienced. After traveling to Kenya during the summer, he shadowed Mark Wakeman, CEO of Chariots4Hope, a nonprofit organization that operates orphanages there.

This time, Isaiah saw what happens behind the scenes: budgeting, communicating with donors, writing reports, and working with government organizations to provide care.

“It was a really good follow-up of my trip this summer to Kenya,” Isaiah said.

Discovering New Career Possibilities

Sometimes career shadowing introduces students to possibilities they had never considered.

Logan Naidoo entered her experience expecting to learn about the technology side of a company but found herself especially interested in its Human Resources department, opening her eyes to another possible direction.

And sometimes the most important lesson comes when things don't work.

During Eliza Qiu’s experience in a biology lab, experiments failed and had to be tried again. She learned firsthand that scientific research requires patience and perseverance.

But she was also influenced by her mentor, Dr. Wang, whose patience and kindness gave Eliza an example of how Christian faith can be expressed through everyday actions and the way we work alongside others.

Relationships also shaped Tessa Moyer’s experience shadowing a sports dietitian at West Chester University. After one particularly demanding day, a connection with Sophia helped make the experience memorable.

“The relationships I built and the people I met really made this experience meaningful to me,” Tessa said.

Her takeaway was to become the kind of older mentor others can look up to and to make an impact using the gifts God has given her.

When Career Shadowing Leads to a Job

For some students, Senior Experience even leads directly to a next step.

Gage White spent four days shadowing a diesel mechanic in Souderton. Rather than simply watching, Gage was trusted with real work on trucks.

By the end of the week, his mentor offered him a job.

“I was pretty shocked because I didn’t see that coming,” Gage said. “I’ve always wanted to have a job here, so I was thrilled.”

Jeremy Tamms, meanwhile, explored a longtime interest in sports media at Philadelphia sports radio station 94WIP, where he shadowed producer—and Dock alumnus and family connection—Louis Coco ('19).

Jeremy got a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce live sports radio and is another example of how relationships within the broader Dock community can create meaningful opportunities for students.

Experiential Learning at Dock Mennonite Academy

Senior Experience is part of a larger approach to experiential learning at Dock Mennonite Academy—giving students opportunities to connect what they learn in school with real people, real work, and real needs beyond campus. While seniors are engaged with Senior Experience week, the rest of the high school participates in Mini-Term—four days of experiential hands-on learning on a variety of subjects. 

Learn more about Dock's Mini-Term program 

Students have opportunities throughout their Dock experience to explore interests, develop skills, build relationships, serve others, and begin considering how their gifts might contribute to the world around them.

Explore School Experiences at Dock Mennonite Academy

Discovering Gifts Through Everyday Worship

Taken together, the students’ stories bring Senior Experience back to Maddie’s reflection and the words of 1 Peter 4:10.

Senior Experience isn't simply about answering the question, “What do I want to do after high school?”

Students may discover a career they love—or one they don't. They may find a mentor, encounter an unexpected opportunity, experience failure, serve someone in need, or discover a gift they hadn't recognized in themselves.

All of those experiences can help students begin asking a deeper question:

How can I use the gifts God has given me to serve others?

That question connects naturally with Dock’s theme this year, Everyday Worship.

Worship is more than what happens in church or chapel. It can take shape in our work, our relationships, the way we respond when things don't go as planned, and the ways we use our gifts in service to others.

For Dock seniors preparing to take their next steps beyond high school, Senior Experience provides a week to begin imagining what that kind of life might look like.

Experience Dock Mennonite Academy

Want to experience the Dock community for yourself?

Visit our upcoming High School Open House to meet teachers and students and discover how Dock combines academic excellence, faith, relationships, service, and experiential learning to prepare students for what comes next.

Schedule a campus visit, attend an open house, or learn more about becoming part of the Dock community. Schedule a tour today!

Grades 9–12 Open Houses

• Saturday, October 10, 12:30–2:30 p.m.
• Saturday, April 10, 12:30–2:30 p.m.

Families are also welcome to contact the Admissions Office to arrange an individual campus tour.