Picture the Possibilities
Old Bonhomme Elementary
Instructions
Picture the Possibilities is a project the school counselors are sponsoring to reinforce our grade level expectations in the area of career awareness. You can help by submitting the following information online or as a hard copy to be displayed on our Picture the Possibilities bulletin board in the hallway. Visit this link to see an example.
Remember all work is important and worthy of sharing. We would like to get several careers in each of the six career paths. If you have questions contact your name at number or email.
Introduction
Students you are encouraged to look through this book to learn more about our community of workers and their careers. You will notice they use many of the skills you are learning everyday at Old Bonhomme. If you find a career interesting, research it further by asking questions, reading books and looking online.
My career is in Finance. I use math everyday at my job. When trading (selling packages of loans),I get to use fractions since all trading is done in fractions. I also manage a team of traders and I love the opportunity to lead the team. Working together has helped us achieve great goals. My communication skills are very important as well as being a good listener and a good role model for others.
Trading Manager
Edna Rodríguez
Mimi Vo�Internal Medicine Physician�Career Path: Health
�I have to listen to patients and look for any abnormal signs, like a detective to search for clues, in order to fight illnesses and keep people healthy.
Mai Vo�Physician� Career Path: Health Services �Skill: Starting IV lines (started one on my own grandma as seen in picture) and treating kidney disease
Ilana Rosman�Dermatologist and dermatopathologist (physician)�Career Path: Health
� Staying focused: I look at bumps and rashes on the skin and under the microscope to figure out how to treat patients’ skin problems. I also teach medical students and doctors-in-training.
A data scientist makes value out of data. I use math, statistics, domain knowledge, and coding to build models to discover information hidden in vast amounts of data and predict future events.
Data Scientist
Fei Chen
Career Path: Data Science
Gene Litvin�Senior IT Auditor�Career Path: Public Accounting / IT Audit
�An IT audit or information technology audit is an examination of the working of the information technology infrastructure. This seeks to find out if there is proper working in the IT sector and if proper control is being maintained.
Dan Hanes�Scientist and Educator (College Professor)�Career Path: Science and Nature
I teach college students about earth and environmental science. I also study how rivers and coasts interact with landscapes and people. This photo is from a rainforest in Puerto Rico, before the recent hurricane Maria hit there. The extreme storm completely changed this environment. Now many of the trees you see in this photo were blown over, and the little creek turned into a raging river!
Art Teacher
Chris Vodicka
Career Path: Teaching
Skill: I help students learn how to be creative thinkers. I teach them about art and
help them learn how to draw and use many different art materials. We can see our world
in different ways when we learn about art.
Economist
Paulina Restrepo-Echavarria
Career Path: Academia
I do academic research at the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis and advise the president of the Bank on monetary policy issues. I’m also an adjunct professor at Washington University where I teach International Macroeconomics to advanced PhD students. I use my math and programing skills to do my job every day.
Marketing Professor
Raphael Thomadsen
Career Path: Research and Teaching
Skill: I help college students and young adults learn about how to succeed in business. I do this by teaching them how to think about how they sell products, and how people will respond to different ways to reach them. I also do research to understand how to get people to buy things. I use Math, Writing and Economics every day.
Process Engineer
Adewale Adeosun
Career Path: Industrial Research in Power Plant Technologies
I create things called flame reactors. In these reactors, you can study various processes of how small particles that are not good for our health are formed. These particles are from burning fuel to make energy that powers our houses.
The fun part of my work is that I create new knowledge that allows me to control these harmful particles from polluting the air around you. I use Maths, Engineering and Applied Sciences everyday.
Pediatrician (HEALTH)
Archna Calfee
My job is to take care of babies and children, and to make sure they stay healthy. I use problem solving skills to figure out what is going on when my patients are sick, and I use science and math I learned in school to treat them. I also use communications skills to talk to parents and patients everyday.
REALTOR
Peter Lu
Career Path: Business/Real Estate
As a realtor we help people buy and sell their homes and/or investment properties. Part of my job is to educate clients to be able to make good decisions. Purchasing a home is an investment and an asset that could possibly be the largest one a family could own. Buyers should know the value of the property that they are purchasing. They need to consider economic and real estate market trends when making a decision to minimize risk and attempt to have a positive return on the investment. Realtors also have to be able to communicate the client’s views and be able to present it in a manner that the other party could potentially be more accepting.
Everyday we use Communication, Economics, Math, Statistics, Writing, Reading, Business skills in some way or manner.
Epidemiologist
Jen Jen Chang
Career Path: Health and Education
Skill: As a public health researcher and educator, communication skill is essential in my work to spread messages to the public and to teach students on how to stay healthy and prevent illness.
Kendall Addison
Sales Engineer/Project Manager
Fixing & Building
I use many different skills each day! Some as simple as having conversations with clients to understand what problems they need to solve and some as complicated as using advanced math!
Grant Writer and Media Specialist
Sydney Stigge-Kaufman, MSW
Career Path: Helping Profession
I use writing and communication skills each day.
I write grants (telling a specific story) to get money for a school district. I have raised millions of dollars! This helps pay for training for teachers, computers for classrooms and special activities for students.
I also share all the great news our students do by getting them on the TV and into the newspaper!
Radiologist (Physician)
Jonathan Baker
Radiologists are like medical detectives. We use tools such as xrays, CT, MRI, and ultrasound to figure out why a person is ill or hurt.
Radiologists rely on math, science, verbal and writing skills in our daily work to understand imaging tests, diagnose diseases so that sick people can get proper treatment, and to teach our trainees.
Director, Digital Learning Solutions at Cengage
Jason Howe
Career Path: Business
I cover the U.S. so when I’m not traveling, I work from my home, which gives me great flexibility. I use my communication skills with my team and customers to make sure the solutions we provide meet their needs. I also use decision making skills daily to help create a better learning experience for college students while using our digital products. I’m lucky to be able to visit college campuses for a living. This past week I was in Ohio working with students who build race cars for their college degree.
Pediatric Hematologist (Physician)
Lily Dolatshahi
Career path: Health
At the hospital, I work with children who have blood diseases. I also teach medical students and doctors in training. I use all of the skills that you are learning now including math and science to help my patients and their families.
Epidemiologist
Bettina Drake
Career path: Health
Epidemiology is a part of public health. As an epidemiologist, I study diseases and how they spread. I use math to understand why some groups of people are more likely to get sick than others. Because I work at a Medical School, I also teach medical students. I also do work in the community to help people understand how to stay healthy and prevent diseases like cancer.
Lawyer
John Drake
Career path: Business
I represent businesses and individuals who have disagreements with each other. This kind of lawyer is called a civil litigator. Usually, I help them work things out. But if they can’t compromise, we go to court and let a judge decide.
I use the skills of writing, reading comprehension, critical thinking (analysis), and verbal communication.
Dr. Chris Wolken is a dentist.
He uses math, science and socialization every day.
Science to study and repair teeth in the human body
Math to measure the correct amount of numbing medicine, size of fillings, size of crowns for teeth.
People skills to help make people feel comfortable and welcome when he is working with them, especially children who are may be nervous.
Dr. Julia Partin
Foot and Ankle Physician and Surgeon
Career Path: Healthcare
My job is to take care of kids and adults when they have foot problems. Each day I use math, science, art, and communication. Math skills that I use include geometry, to understand x-rays, measuring/measurements, addition, subtraction, multiplication and fractions. Science allows me to understand the body and how it functions, medications, and test results. Art and creativity are an important part of being a surgeon. If a bone is broken, I have to figure out how to put it back together again. Communication, listening, and writing clearly are important parts of my job too.
My job is to help companies with their employees. I work to match company goals with hiring the right people and then training them on those goals and their job. I love to work in Human Resources because I am able to guide people's success in their careers and help them achieve their dreams. I use math, science, writing, and communication in my job.
Human Resources
Michelle Williams
SVP, Human Resources
Business/Helping
Diane Thames
Transition Facilitator, Special School District
Helping Path �I use compassion every day at my job, I listen to and care about my families and students, and try my best to be as helpful as I can be.
Synchronized Swimming Coach
Creative, Building and Helping Path
My career is in Coaching. I help motivate, guide and educate athletes to help them better their synchronized swimming skills. Synchronized Swimming requires a lot of creativity in order to choreograph the artistic routines. Coaches work with other coaches, athletes and their families. A Coach must be very organized, have strong leadership skills and be comfortable speaking with and guiding groups. Coaches must be strong communicators and have good listening skills as well.
Videographer/Editor
Deborah Pflanz
Career Path: Creative
The skills I use in my career are paying close attention to capture anything important that is happening around me. Also to use my imagination to capture images that are presented in an interesting way.