Professionals Take Over LHS Classes for Science Career Days

For Lemont High School teacher Patty Doornbos, preparing students for the future involves more than textbooks and lesson plans.

Every year, Doornbos invites professionals from a variety of science-related fields — including pharmacy, forensics and engineering — to speak at the school's annual Science Career Days.

Last Thursday and Friday, students from all grade levels took a break from their regular science classes to participate in the event.

"It's all about exposure," Doornbos said. "It's so important for us to provide those opportunities so they know what careers are out there for them in the future."

 This year, session topics included dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, forensic science, nutrition and environmental services. Each student attended two sessions, which were assigned based on preference.

Doornbos expressed her gratitude to the science department for its continued commitment to Career Days.

"The teachers have been so supportive of the event every year," she said. "They give up their class time because they believe it's a good thing for the kids."

Making Career Days even better, Doornbos said, is the number of Lemont parents and graduates who participate each year. This year's alumni speakers included Jennifer Slotwinski, Daniela Brzozowski, Kristen Hager-Butler and Melissa Bruce. Doornbos and Science Department chair Tim Leffler are also former students.

"The fact that all these old graduates keep coming back is really a testament to the school," Doornbos said.

Anne Ekkert, a nurse at Loyola University Medical Center, has spoken at Career Days every year since it began. Her daughter, Holly, is a senior at the school.

"I've been doing this for years, and I love it," Ekkert said. "If I wasn't a nurse, I'd want to be a science teacher."

Angela LaPorte, an employee with the Illinois Tollway Authority, has been participating in the event for several years. Wanting to build a better relationship with the community after the construction of the I-355 South Extension in Lemont, she started speaking at both the high school and the elementary district.

"It's great for us to build this relationship with Lemont schools, but it's also incredibly fun to be able to talk to the kids about what we do" LaPorte said.

With a larger number of students now expressing interest in science-related jobs, the importance of Career Days is even greater, Doornbos said.

"We're not trying to sway them in any way," she said. "We want to expose them to as many career choices as possible so that when the time comes to make that decision, they will be properly informed."