Campus News
March 31st, 2026
GCPS provides 7th-Grade Career Day
Garrett College serves as host site for event drawing 214 7th-graders
Photo by John Rudd
The Deep Creek Volunteer Fire Company brought one of the coolest exhibits to last Friday's Garrett County Public Schools 7th-Grade Career Day, which took place at Garrett College.
Garrett County Public Schools conducted "7th-Grade Career Day" March 20th at Garrett College, drawing 214 students and featuring nearly two dozen career options for students to consider.
"We loved giving the 7th-graders the opportunity to navigate the College campus and gain early exposure to all kinds of careers and pathways available to them, helping students begin to envision their futures," said Mary Keller, GCPS career coach for the southern end of the county.
The event included presenters representing a wide range of professions, including engineering, entrepreneurship, legal services, law enforcement, banking, construction, manufacturing, carpentry, and farming/agriculture. There were also representatives from numerous technology-related fields, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), computer science, automation, information technology, and graphic/web design.
Several health-related careers were also featured, including nursing, paramedic, emergency services, and athletic training.
"It was nice to see all of those students here exploring some of the many career options that will be available to them," said Professor Christa Bowser, Garrett College's chief academic officer.
Dr. Kelli Sisler, Garrett College's director of institutional effectiveness, was the engineering presenter. Sisler – who earned a chemical engineering degree from Pennsylvania State University and spent 20 years as a working engineer – said she tried to impart two engineering-related messages.
"The first was the need to make sure they're taking the right courses in high school if they want to prepare for a career in engineering – biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus," said Sisler. "The second was to use their creativity to think outside the box on how to improve life. Engineering is really about making things better – more efficient, more cost-effective, easier to use."
Keller thanked both the College and the myriad of community volunteers who represented the various career fields.
"7th-Grade Career Day wouldn't be possible without Garrett College and our incredible community volunteers who consistently step up, show up, and inspire our students year after year," said Keller.